Why do we gain weight in the winter?

Do you feel like you gain weight in the winter? A groundbreaking study by researchers at the University of Alberta has shown that fat cells found just beneath our skin shrink when exposed to blue light emitted by the sun. It is important to clarify from the beginning that the finding is only an initial observation. Seeking exposure to sunlight is not a safe or recommended way to lose weight. “When the blue light waves from the sun penetrate our skin and reach the fat cells, the lipids are reduced and released from the cell. In other words, our cells don’t store as much fat,” said Peter Light. Lead author of the study, who is a professor of pharmacology at the Alberta Diabetes Institute. “If we reverse our findings, insufficient sunlight, where we spend eight months a year living in a cold climate, may be aiding fat storage and contributing to the typical weight gain some of us experience during the winter. “We still do not know the intensity and duration of the light necessary for this process to be activated.” However, he added that the discovery opens new avenues of scientific exploration that could one day lead to light-based drug treatments for obesity and other related health problems. Like diabetes. “Perhaps exposure to sunlight directing our sleep-wake patterns. It may also act in a sensory way. Setting the amount of fat humans burn depending on the season. You gain weight in the winter and then it burns off in the summer. This could be an evolutionary process. Supported by the fact that our fat spreads throughout our body just under our skin. Unlike many other mammals.” In these early observations we found many fascinating clues for the team and other researchers to explore.