While the word “fat” is used broadly to describe all body fat, there are actually several different types of fat in the human body.
Some types of fat have negative effects on your health and contribute to illness. Others are beneficial and required for your health.
The main types of fat cells are white, brown and cream cells. They may be stored as essential, subcutaneous, or visceral fat.
Each type of fat has a different function. While some increase metabolism and healthy hormone levels, others contribute to dangerous diseases such as: heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure.
White Fat
White fat is the type of fat that most people think of immediately. It consists of large white blood cells that are stored under the skin or around organs in the abdomen, arms, buttocks, and thighs. These fat cells are your body’s way of storing energy to use later. This type of fat also plays a role in the function of hormones such as: insulin, estrogen, leptin (one of the hormones that stimulates feelings of hunger), growth hormone, cortisol (stress hormone).
While some white fat is necessary for health, too much white fat can be very dangerous. Healthy body fat percentages vary depending on your fitness or physical activity level.
A body fat percentage that is higher than the ideal size can put you at risk of experiencing health problems such as: high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, pregnancy complications, coronary artery disease, hormonal imbalance, liver disease, kidney disease, cancer.
Beige Fat (brite)
Beige fat is a relatively new field of research. These fat cells function somewhere between brown and white fat cells. Cream cells can help burn fat rather than store it.
It’s believed that certain hormones and enzymes released when you’re stressed or exercise can help convert white fat into beige fat. This is an exciting area of research to help prevent obesity and maximize healthy levels of body fat.
Brown Fat
Brown fat is a type of fat that is often found in babies, however, adults also store small amounts of brown fat, usually in the neck and shoulders.
This type of fat burns fatty acids to keep you warm. Researchers are interested in finding ways to stimulate the activity of brown fat to help prevent obesity.
Subcutaneous Fat
Subcutaneous fat refers to fat that is stored under your skin. It is a combination of brown, cream, and white fat cells.
The majority of human body fat is located in the subcutaneous area. That’s the fat that you can squeeze or pinch on your arms, stomach, thighs and buttocks.
Fitness professionals use calipers to measure subcutaneous fat as a way to estimate total body fat percentage.
A certain amount of subcutaneous fat is normal and healthy, but too much can cause imbalances in hormone levels and sensitivity.
Visceral Fat
Visceral fat, also known as “belly fat,” is the white fat stored in your stomach and around your major organs, such as your kidneys, liver, pancreas, intestines, and heart.
High levels of visceral fat can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, artery disease, and some types of cancer.
Body Fat Benefits
You may not value your body fat, especially if it accumulates in certain areas such as the stomach or thighs. Fat is an important source of stored energy when humans are unable to eat for long periods. In the body’s fat matrix, also called adipose tissue, there are not only fat cells but also nerve and immune cells as well as connective tissue. Fatty tissue releases hormones that control metabolism and appetite (leptin & adiponectin) and that affect insulin sensitivity (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6). Macrophages, neutrophils, and eosinophils are some of the immune cells found in adipose tissue that play a role in inflammation — both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory. Fat cells also secrete proteins and build enzymes that are involved with the body’s immune function and the formation of steroid hormones.
Body composition is critical. Your body will function best with the proper overall fat percentage. Having an ideal and healthy percentage of body fat provides many benefits, such as:
- Balanced hormone levels
- A healthy metabolism
- Better reproduction health
- Sufficient vitamin storage
- Good neurological functioning
- Blood sugar is balanced
