People conceived in the summer are more likely to be overweight

Japanese scientists have found in a new study, that people conceived in the cold season, have a higher metabolism and fewer problems with excess weight than those conceived in the warm season.

The study demonstrated that individuals conceived during the cold season have better regulation of brown adipose tissue, expend more energy, and have a lower body mass index than those conceived during the warm season. Those conceived during the cold season also show less accumulation of visceral fat around internal organs.

Data based on a study of 500 volunteers indicate that meteorological conditions at the time of conception affect further physiology of a future person. While diet and physical activity have a direct impact on fat loss, cold or warm weather also plays a role.

At low temperatures, the body begins to produce more heat, using brown adipose tissue for this purpose. It also significantly reduces visceral fat deposition compared to warmer conditions.

In the study, Takeshi Yoneshiro and colleagues examined the volume of brown adipose tissue and its activity in thermogenesis in 683 healthy men and women aged 3 to 78 years in Japan. The parents of all participants were exposed to low or high temperatures at the time of conception and birth, which in the study was from October 17 to April 15 and — from April 16 to October 16.

Participants conceived during the cold season showed higher brown adipose tissue activity, which was associated with higher energy expenditure, increased thermogenesis, less visceral fat accumulation, and lower body mass index in adulthood. According to Takeshi Yoneshiro and his colleagues, the key factor in the upregulation of brown adipose tissue in those born in the cold season was significant daily temperature fluctuations and lower ambient temperature in the period before conception.

However, the main factors contributing to individual differences in brown adipose tissue activity remain poorly understood, especially in humans. The authors note that more research is needed to determine the underlying mechanisms, adaptation in different populations, and the impact of other dietary and environmental changes, including those that occur in childhood.

Everyone on an offline diet: researchers have found that high-speed Internet «makes us» fat

The results of the study were published in the journal Nature

Source: MedicalXpress