Clearing the air about fat loss
New research reveals that we exhale out most of lost body fat
Where does fat go when we lose it? Researchers at the University of New South Wales have discovered that besides burning it off, fat can also be breathed out as carbon dioxide and expelled as water in urine.
Their paper, published in the Christmas issue of The BMJ, studies the metabolic process of weight loss at a microscopic level.
Fat is stored in the body as a compound called triglyceride. Triglycerides are broken down through oxidation into carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Researchers followed the path of these atoms as they journeyed out of the body, and created a calculation that specifically details how we lose weight.
To lose 10 kilograms of fat, one would have to burn 94,000 calories, and produce 8.4 kilograms of carbon dioxide as well as a small amount of water, researchers discovered. The paper illustrates that 29 kilograms of oxygen must be inhaled to oxidise 10 kilograms of fat into 28 kilograms of carbon dioxide and 11 kilograms of water, Medical News Today reported.
"None of this biochemistry is new, but for unknown reasons it seems nobody has thought of performing these calculations before. These results show that the lungs are the primary excretory organ for weight loss,” study authors Ruben Meerman and Andrew Brown were quoted by the BBC as saying.
There are many common misconceptions as to where fat and excess weight goes when it is lost. Most believe that fat is converted into energy or heat - which would violate Einstein’s E=mc2 law - while others think it is excreted or converted to muscle.
This new research could lead to physicians, dieticians and personal trainers everywhere re-evaluating their understanding of how the body loses weight. However, weight loss strategies will not likely change much – hyperventilating, researchers say, would not work. Instead, people should stick to the tried-and-tested method of eating less and moving more.
Further links:
Bbc.co.uk
Medicalnewstoday.com
Bmj.com
Related Articles
WHO recommends reducing daily sugar intake by half
Limiting sugar consumption may help tackle obesity, says World Health Organization (WHO)
Read moreNew exercise burns calories even after workout
Orangetheory Fitness, based on “excess post exercise oxygen consumption” or Epoc, is the latest fitness phenomenon
Read moreDieters dependent on healthy food options
Study shows that food accessibility is just as important as personal determination in improving dietary intake
Read moreLatest Articles
Medical Care
SJMC First in Asia Pacific to Achieve Four ACHSI Centre of Excellence Certifications, Setting a Benchmark for World-Class Care
Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC) becomes the first hospital in Asia-Pacific to earn four ACHSI Centre of Excellence certifications, reinforcing its global leadership in quality healthcare.
Read moreHealth & Wellness
Dr.Piya’s Triple-Advanced Technique Breast Augmentation Create Well-Positioned & Fuller Breasts with Tiny Wounds & Less Pain
When the best of quality and advanced technique come together, it is like a luxurious beauty like Hermes in the world of breast augmentation surgery.
Read moreHealth & Wellness
Stem-cell-based Hair Transplant For more Natural, Healthier & Thicker Hair
Today, Dr. Sunida is going to answer the question that has been asked by thousands of patients who come to Nida Esth’ Medical Centre to treat hair loss with a non-surgical hair transplant
Read more
