How Does the Body Excrete Fat?

This is a question that is often asked and that brings together several preconceived ideas: how is the fat that is lost when you diet? Scientists have carried out extensive research and have found amazing answers.

Misconceptions about fat conversion

If you ask professionals, many will say that fat removal is converted into energy or heat or that it becomes muscle. Except that Ruben Meerman, a physicist by training, and Andrew Brown, director of the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences at the University of New South Wales in Australia, are the only ones. The latter has recently established that this assumption runs counter to the Mass Conservation Act.

This law is part of the fundamental principles of physics and chemistry. It is also known as Lavoisier’s Law, which states that “Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed”. Thus, fat, to be evacuated, must be transformed into concrete molecules that can be eliminated by the body’s organs.

The lungs, the main organs for fat elimination.

Further research by the two scientists led to conclusions published in the British Medical Journal in Christmas 2014(1). The result is rather surprising: fat is evacuated from the body mainly through the lungs.

To arrive at this conclusion, Meerman and Brown observed what happened to the triglyceride molecules in the muscles. During weight loss, fat is metabolized out of the body. It does this by releasing a mixture of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Studies then showed that to burn 10kg of fat, it was necessary to breathe no less than 29kg of oxygen, producing 28kg of CO2 and 11kg of H2O (water).

After clarifying certain calculations, the two scientists were able to establish that nearly 84% of fat is evacuated as CO2 through the lungs. Out of every 10 kilos lost, no less than 8.4 kilos are eliminated via the respiratory organs. The rest is converted into water and is eliminated via body fluids (mainly urine, tears, or perspiration). But has this discovery revolutionized the way you lose weight?

Does this change the way of losing weight?

Reading Meerman and Brown’s conclusions, one might say that increasing your efforts at the gym would allow you to lose more weight and lose it faster. However, this is unfortunately not the case.

It is established that an excess of triglycerides invariably leads to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. However, physical activity depends very little on the sports activities practiced by individuals to keep fit. This is because every human metabolism is different and is the main factor in fat loss. Some people maintain a balance without effort. Others need more intense physical activity to achieve the same result.

Fat is removed from the body in the same way as before: by balancing energy intake and expenditure. Everyone’s energy balance must be balanced and negative. Indeed, energy expenditure must exceed calorie intake. To achieve this more easily, it is important to keep your body healthy. To do this, you must provide it with all the nutrients it needs. Favor vegetables, fruits and white meats. Avoid saturated fats and refined sugars as much as possible to stay in shape.

Also read: Why do men get fatter as they get older