Lab report: MRI scan proves adults have calorie-burning brown fat cells

Eating processed meats, such as ham and salami, is known to increase the risk of colorectal cancer, but for one-third of the population who carry a specific gene variant, the risk appears to increase significantly, according to a study in PLOS Genetics. Researchers at the University of Southern California studied more than 18,000 people from the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe. Half the sample had colorectal cancer and half were free of cancer. After searching 2.7 million genetic variants, the researchers found a significant interaction between one particular gene variant and diets that included processed meats.

In a breakthrough that could lead to new therapies to fight diabetes and obesity, researchers at the Warwick Medical School in Britain have for the first time used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect "brown fat" in a living adult. Compared to the traditional method of positron emission tomography, MRI distinguishes between brown and white fat. White fat is linked with weight gain, but brown fat can use energy and burn calories. The researchers hope to provide detailed insights into where brown fat can be found in adults, which may be vital in the creation of therapies that activate deposits of brown fat.