Exposure to cold temperatures increases levels of a newly discovered protein which is critical for the formation of brown fat, the type of fat in our bodies that generates heat.

Mice studies revealed that rodents with boosted levels of the Zfp516 protein gained 30 percent less weight than control mice when both groups were fed a high-fat diet.
Hei Sook Sul, UC Berkeley professor of nutritional science and toxicology, said, “Knowing which proteins regulate brown fat is significant because brown fat is not only important for thermogenesis, but there is evidence that brown fat may also affect metabolism and insulin resistance. If one can somehow increase levels of this protein through drugs, they could have more brown fat, and could possibly lose more weight even if eating the same amount of food.”
The study appears online in the journal Molecular Cell.
Source-Medindia