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Broccoli boosts fat burning. New research has demonstrated two ways in which broccoli can increase fat burning and limit weight gain.
Fitness and Broccoli
Just for fun, try typing “contest meal prep” into Google and search for images. You’ll notice that in at least half of the food containers you see, broccoli provides the green color. Not surprising; it contains few calories but lots of fiber and antioxidants. Moreover, it is said to increase testosterone, but I’ll address that separately.
New research in mice shows that one of those antioxidants, sulforaphane, inhibits weight gain. In mice, at least [1].
Sulforaphane
Sulforaphane is an antioxidant to which various positive effects are attributed, including a preventive effect against cancer. It achieves this effect, among other things, by reducing oxidation and stimulating antioxidation by the body. Overweight and an excess of food stimulate oxidation, increasing the risk of multiple diseases. Researchers at Kanazawa University therefore wanted to investigate whether additional intake of sulforaphane could protect against these effects.
They put mice on a high-fat diet. The mice that received sulforaphane in their diet gained 15% less weight than the group that did not receive sulforaphane. Visceral fat (abdominal fat) also decreased by 20%, and blood sugar levels decreased under the influence of sulforaphane.
According to the researchers at Kanazawa University, sulforaphane could have a lowering effect on fat mass in two ways.
‘Beige Fat’
Brown fat contains many more mitochondria (‘energy centers’) than white fat cells. More and more is becoming known about the positive properties of this type of fat. Research has shown that in white adipose tissue, fat cells can also form that resemble brown fat [2]. These are also called beige fat and, like brown fat, they increase energy expenditure.
Sulforaphane would increase the levels of the protein called UCP-1 (uncoupling protein-1*2) and thus increase the formation of beige fat.
Gut Flora
In the intestines, so-called lipoglycans occur, or lipopolysaccharides, molecules formed from a fat linked to a carbohydrate consisting of a long chain of sugars. After a meal, the amount of lipoglycans increases. However, if this is elevated for a long time, it increases the risk of diabetes. In a study where mice were infused with lipoglycans through an infusion, they also gained weight faster than mice that did not receive this infusion [3].
In the study by Kanazawa, sulforaphane was found to counteract the formation of lipoglycans.
References
- Naoto Nagata, Liang Xu, Susumu Kohno, Yusuke Ushida, Yudai Aoki, Ryohei Umeda, Nobuo Fuke, Fen Zhuge, Yinhua Ni, Mayumi Nagashimada, Chiaki Takahashi, Hiroyuki Suganuma, Shuichi Kaneko, Tsuguhito Ota. Glucoraphanin Ameliorates Obesity and Insulin Resistance Through Adipose Tissue Browning and Reduction of Metabolic Endotoxemia in Mice. Diabetes, 2017; db160662 DOI: 10.2337/db16-0662
- Fisher ffolliott M, Kleiner S, Douris N, et al. FGF21 regulates PGC-1α and browning of white adipose tissues in adaptive thermogenesis. Genes & Development. 2012;26(3):271-281. doi:10.1101/gad.177857.111.
- Metabolic Endotoxemia Initiates Obesity and Insulin ResistancePatrice D. Cani, Jacques Amar, Miguel Angel Iglesias, Marjorie Poggi, Claude Knauf, DelphineBastelica, Audrey M. Neyrinck, Francesca Fava, Kieran M. Tuohy, Chantal Chabo, Aurélie Waget, Evelyne Delmée, Béatrice Cousin, Thierry Sulpice, Bernard Chamontin, Jean Ferrières, Jean-FrançoisTanti, Glenn R. Gibson, Louis Casteilla, Nathalie M. Delzenne, Marie Christine Alessi, Rémy BurcelinDiabetes Jul 2007, 56 (7) 1761-1772; DOI: 10.2337/db06-1491
