An interesting new study has surfaced from a couple of years ago that runs opposite of all common sense when it comes to diet and eating in general.

The experiment found that in meeses (mice) deactivating two main genes that are part of the “fat-burning” process, can actually improve energy output and assist in lowering diet-caused obesity. These unusual findings might lead to some new roads in weight-loss therapy. Warm-blooded animals like humans need to constantly “burn fat” to maintain stable body temperature and this is where you have to depart from all common sense.

It is presently thought that a person’s fat-burning ability, called thermogenic potential, is linked to risk of obesity; which means that people with extra thermogenic potential are less likely to get obese. As a matter of fact, bodybuilders and others seeking to burn more fat routinely use thermogenic dietary supplements like the caffeine and ephedra combo that helped so many a few years ago until an ignorant, hysterical press finally pushed an even more clueless Congress to ban it for fat loss.

Anyway, in theory, decreasing thermogenesis ought to increase the odds of being overweight or obese, but Leslie Kozak and fellow scientists at Pennington Biomedical Research Center discovered that this might not be totally accurate. The team knocked-out two thermogenic genes in several meeses (mice), called Gdm (glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase) and Ucp1 (mitochondrial uncoupling protein) then they fed the meeses a high-fat regime while raising them at a cool 20 °C (68 °F).

The mice were in fact very resilient to obesity, which was caused by each mouse’s body actually activating their own much less efficient backup heat generators. Missing the Ucp1 & Gdm, genes which were designed for the efficient creation of heat, mouse white fat cells activated alternative, and more inefficient, fat burning mechanisms. In this case the inefficiency was a benefit, as the mice had to burn extra fat than regular to keep warm like burning more wood on a fire.

Notably, after living for 10 weeks at 68°F, the meeses kept these alternate pathways intact even after being moved to 28 °C (82 °F), which suggests that their bodies had adapted to the adjustment. Accordingly, Kozak and fellow
scientists notice, fat burning will not necessarily require making thermogenesis easier; by making it difficult and forcing the body to employ inefficient pathways to keep warm, the identical targets can be achieved.

A small gift from your Prehistoric ancestors

The relationship between sun exposure and fat loss most likely dates back before we humans could walk upright. Way back, before the invention of video games and office cubicles, humans had to spend the majority of their time outside in the weather finding food. We hunted, we gathered, and we developed a natural adaptation to the seasons. As the days shortened, our bodies instinctually knew that winter was coming and our metabolism slowed to conserve calories. Then as warmer weather approached again, and food became more plentiful, we came out of our semi-hibernation to begin the cycle again (1).

This is where it gets fascinating. Apparently, when we are exposed to increasing amounts of UV rays, our bodies activate a protection mechanism to lessen the damage caused by the sun. Protection is created by increasing the amount of protective pigment, called eumelanin, in the skin. This increase in eumelanin is known as tanning. This is nothing big, the body responds to UV over exposure by tanning, but it doesn’t stop there (2).

Increased sun exposure causes more than just a healthy glow. An entire chain reaction is formed that activates the most powerful substances in the human body, hormones. One of these hormones, melanocortin, also decreases appetite and performs actions on fat cells, causing them to be broken down and used as fuel by the body and you to lose weight. So one of the same hormones produced by the skin when we tan, also suppresses the appetite center of our brains and makes it easier to burn fat for fuel, causing weight loss (2,3).

An Easy Explanation

It makes a lot of sense, our hunter gatherer bodies would sense winter by a shorter period of daylight. Fat serves us both as a source of energy during food shortage and as a thermal insulator protecting us against the cold. As the weather warmed and our skin was irritated by added sunlight, a little chain reaction was started; after all, we needed to shed our layers of fat to be more mobile and facilitate heat loss during summer. If we had not, we would have been at a disadvantage by being slow and prone to heat exhaustion during the hunt. Part of this sequence as well, melanocortin is also able to increase your body’s metabolism by causing increased output of thyroid hormone (3).

Here Comes Big Pharma

Melanocortin can effect fat storage and release, the metabolic rate, and the appetite. Its production is influenced by the amount of fat stored in the body and is also involved in maintaining your weight as well as getting a good tan. The power of this substance is why several major pharmaceutical companies have recently patented a number of new drugs that try to produce the same effects. The new drugs will treat obesity, get you a tan, and treat impotence as well, just in case(4).

For those who prefer the natural way, getting just enough sun to cause a slight tan can help you lose weight by: decreasing your appetite, helping increase your metabolism and making it easier to burn fat for energy. Indoor tanning could have its uses after all (4).

1. Healy E, Flannagan N, et al. Melanocortin-1 receptor gene and sun  sensitivity in individuals without red hair. Lancet 2000 Mar 25;355(9209):1072-3.

2. MacNeil DJ, Howard AD, et al. The role of melanocortins in body weight regulation: opportunities for the treatment of obesity. Eur J Pharmacol 2002 Apr 12;440(2-3):141-57.

3. Voisey J, van Daal A. Agouti: from mouse to man, from skin to fat.  Pigment Cell Res 2002 Feb;15(1):10-8.

4. Zemel MB. Agouti/melanocortin interactions with leptin pathways in obesity. Nutr Rev 1998 Sep; 56(9):271-4.

Vitamin B6 is associated with healthy hair, skin, immune system, and blood flow. Authors of a new study in the Journal of American medical Association will publish a new link on June 16, to a lower risk of lung cancer.

The authors conclusion was that high levels of vitamin B6 and the amino acid methionine and folate, another B. vitamin, are associated with a lower incidence of lung cancer due to a possible protective effect of these compounds.

Another recent study has shown a similar protective effect of vitamin B6, against colorectal cancer. The best sources for vitamin B6 are animal proteins. Tunafish, turkey, beef, and halibut.

Although researchers are not sure whether vitamin supplements will give the same protection as food sources having high concentrations of these compounds seems beneficial.

Full study located here:, “Serum B Vitamin Levels and Risk of Lung Cancer”: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/303/23/2377