Irisin the Fat Losing Hormone: Understanding and Managing Weight

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“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is ashamed for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”

- Socrates

This quote by Socrates shows how important it is for us to take care of the body, of having our body in our control to perform it better. Only a few are there who have maintained their body perfectly and mostly there are people who either want to gain or shed weight. 

But what makes it happen? We all know you gain by a balanced diet but what makes us shred weight?. Here, we are talking about Irisin and how Irisin is important in getting us in shape.

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What Is Irisin?

Irisin is a hormone naturally found in muscle cells, and it increases in the body when we take exercise, boosting the amount of energy we expend and controlling blood sugar levels. 

This hormone also has the benefit of helping convert bad, calorie-storing 'white fat', which typically sits around a person's waist, to good, calorie-burning 'brown fat, which is found in babies and young children but largely disappears when we become adults. 

It is also a source of motivation while performing exercises and cardio exercises.

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How Does Irisin Help?

Irisin improves insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes by increasing sensitivity of the insulin receptor in skeletal muscle and heart, by improving hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism, and by promoting pancreatic β cell functions, and browning of the white adipose tissue. 

Irisin converts the white fat to brown fat in our bodies. Brown fat is particularly beneficial to health because it burns off more excess calories than exercise alone.

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Scientific Discoveries on Irisin

Irisin is something that has been a source of interest and research among scientists for quite some time. Scientists have demonstrated irisin’s effect by injecting it into overweight mice that were fed a high-fat diet and no exercise. 

Within a period of 10 days, the mouse lost a small amount of weight, and in theory, could have lost more if it had been given for a longer period.

Irisin is however produced in our body through exercises naturally and there is no replacement for that and the synthetic irisin is just researched for medical purposes

So is it the Ultimate Hormone?

Irisin definitely is one of the helping hormones that help in fighting fat and maintaining good fat. But we must remember that it is produced in our body when we exercise and not if we just become sedentary. 

That's why you are recommended to exercise to reduce fat. Calling it an ultimate hormone is a matter of perspective. If we talk about the natural irisin, it is very good and helpful, yes, but the new artificially synthesized irisin is not the substitute for the exercise and is only used for patients. 

So, if you want a healthy body, keep exercising, eat well, and always take care of your body.

Written By - Ashish Joshi