Protein discovered that regulates the burning of body fat

Muscle movements generate body heat. However, body heat can also be generated in another way: body fat contains a small number of brown adipose cells - special fat cells that can generate heat without muscle activity. They do this using a protein known as UCP1 that enables babies or hibernating animals to keep warm without shivering. A research team at the University of Veterinary Medicine (Vetmeduni Vienna) has found that a specific chemical compound, an aldehyde, can activate UCP1 under certain conditions, and that could also trigger fat burning.