221 | id == 221
221 | category_id == 18
221 | category_order == 15
221 | category_name == Weight
221 | category_color == #C47AC0
221 | slug == UCP2-Weight
221 | title == Does This Gene Influence Your Risk of Obesity and Diabetes? (UCP2)
221 | meta_description == UCP2 encodes a protein involved in fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Learn about its variants associated with obesity and diabete
221 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>The UCP2 gene encodes a mitochondrial protein involved in fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Variants of this gene have been associated with obesity and diabetes. Read on to learn if your genes make you more prone to these metabolic disorders.</strong></p>
221 | overall_score_text == Your Weight Score (Based on UCP2 Gene)
221 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/UCP2--Weight.jpg
221 | author_id == 12
221 | author_name == Carlos Tello
221 | author_title == PhD
221 | author_order == 55
221 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/CarlosTello.webp
221 | author_intro == <p><strong>Carlos received his PhD and MS from the Universidad de Sevilla.</strong></p>    <p>Carlos spent 9 years in the laboratory investigating mineral transport in plants. He then started working as a freelancer, mainly in science writing, editing, and consulting. Carlos is passionate about learning the mechanisms behind biological processes and communicating science to both academic and non-academic audiences. He strongly believes that scientific literacy is crucial to maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid falling for scams.</p>
221 | author_social_media_name == linkedin
221 | author_social_media_icon == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/social-icon/linkedin.png
221 | author_social_order == 1
221 | author_social_link == https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-tello-lacal-b946b4a7/
221 | reviewer == None
221 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
221 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
221 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
221 | publish_date == 2020
221 | publish_date == 6
221 | publish_date == 19
221 | avg_rating == 5.0
221 | tags_id == 186
221 | tags_name == BMI
221 | tags_id == 127
221 | tags_name == Diabetes Type 2
221 | tags_id == 468
221 | tags_name == Energy Expenditure
221 | tags_id == 139
221 | tags_name == Insulin
221 | tags_id == 165
221 | tags_name == Obesity
221 | tags_id == 501
221 | tags_name == UCP2 Gene
221 | permissions_favorite == False
221 | permissions_rate == False
221 | content_article == <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">This article is for informational purposes only. None of the information here should be taken as medical advice. If you are struggling to maintain a healthy weight, seek medical help. </span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keep in mind that these results are based on association studies, which are correlative and aren&rsquo;t necessarily causative. Any single genetic variant will typically contribute only a small proportion to the overall risk of the condition, and non-genetic factors play a large role in developing a condition as well. Therefore, just because you have one of these genotypes does not necessarily mean you are at an increased risk of developing this condition!</span></em></p> <h2><strong>What Is the <em>UCP2 </em>Gene?</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="../../../gene/ucp2/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">gene</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes a protein called &lsquo;</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">uncoupling protein 2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rsquo;. In the </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/mitochondria/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">mitochondria</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (the main powerhouse of cells), the breakdown of nutrient fuels is </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">coupled </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">to the production of the energy molecule ATP. Members of the uncoupling protein family prevent the production of this molecule and instead cause the energy to be dissipated as heat [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3060851/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27091404"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 is found in a wide variety of tissues, such as brown an white fat, muscles, pancreatic </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/insulin-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">insulin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">-producing cells, immune system, heart, and liver. Its expression is increased when blood fatty acid levels are high, such as during fat burning or when eating a </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/low-carb-diet-vs-high-carb-diet/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">high-fat diet</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Conversely, obese and diabetic people have lower UCP2 levels [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9054939/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9133562/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11098051/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10454128/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10102249/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29151065/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The biological function of UCP2 remains poorly understood. Although it can block ATP generation to produce heat, just as its sister protein </span><a href="../../article/weight-loss-ucp1-59"><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP1</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, research suggests its main role is the regulation of fat and carbohydrate metabolism. UCP2 may also protect the brain and other tissues from </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/oxidative-stress-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">oxidative stress</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9139827/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11440717/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15119952/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11935148/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12787871/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The <em>UCP2 </em>gene encodes a mitochondrial protein found in a wide variety of tissues and mainly involved in regulating fat and carbohydrate metabolism.</span></p> <h3><strong>UCP2 in Fat and Carbohydrate Metabolism</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Engineered mice lacking UCP2 were not obese and didn&rsquo;t gain more weight from a high-fat diet, but burned less fat during </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/intermittent-fasting/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fasting</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and gained more weight when treated with the fat-producing hormone </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/ghrelin-role-cognitive-gut-function-weight-inflammation-autoimmunity/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ghrelin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Conversely, mice overproducing UCP2 and UCP3 were leaner [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11101840/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2386270/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2869261/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12664076/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11007587/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cell-based studies revealed that UCP2 acts as a switch that promotes fat burning on the expense of sugar utilization [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17855623/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21917523/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Additionally, several animal studies showed that UCP2 reduces sugar breakdown by preventing pancreatic cells from secreting insulin in response to high blood </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/glucose/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">glucose</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. In line with this, the lack of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">expression improved diet-induced diabetes [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11440717/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11375330/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12401712/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15448158/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17209127/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">UCP2 promotes fat burning, but can also increase blood sugar by preventing insulin secretion in response to high sugar.&nbsp;</span></p> <h2><strong><em>UCP2 </em>Variants Associated with Weight and Diabetes</strong></h2> <h3><strong>Rs659366</strong></h3> <h4><strong>Obesity</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The minor &lsquo;T&rsquo; variant of the </span><a href="../../../snp/rs659366/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs659366</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> polymorphism showed a protective effect from obesity in studies on Austrian and Iranian adults, and Turkish children. Similarly, the major &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele was associated with obesity in Danish and Egyptian adults, and Korean, Hungarian, and Spanish children [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11381268/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20804304/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23314523/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22349573/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6146265/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19039313/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23432701/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7217888/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, no association between this polymorphism and obesity was found in some studies on Danish and Italian adults, and German children. The &lsquo;T&rsquo; variant was even associated with </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">increased </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">obesity rates and body fat in Danish, Egyptian, Russian, Spanish, Mexican, Balinese, Indonesian, and Indian adults, and Spanish children [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6452144/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14627764/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14974928/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12746756/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32474746/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30645860/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26402942/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21883184/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6082227/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3412711/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19908126/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4287797/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16562813/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite these discrepancies, all meta-analyses agree that the &lsquo;T&rsquo; variant is associated with lower obesity rates and BMI in European but not in Asian populations [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23147265/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24752406/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3613358/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013025/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><strong>Blood Fat Levels</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; variant has been associated with higher blood </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/triglycerides/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">triglycerides</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/cholesterol/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cholesterol</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (both total and &lsquo;bad&rsquo; </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/ldl-cholesterol/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">LDL</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> cholesterol) and lower &lsquo;good&rsquo; </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/hdl-cholesterol/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">HDL</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> cholesterol levels in French, Mexican, Korean, and Indonesian populations. A Japanese study found it linked to lower LDL particle size, which is a risk factor for heart disease [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15308133/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6209716/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29634487/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17512314/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4858618/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18301352/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><strong>Diabetes</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; variant has been associated with type 2 diabetes and </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/top-tips-for-fixing-insulin-resistance/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">insulin resistance</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in Italian (especially women), British, Russian, Indian, and Indonesian populations. Similarly, &lsquo;C&rsquo; protected from this condition in an Austrian study [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28281015/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15220218/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16644712/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25773007/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30910560/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26402942/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19908126/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4858618/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12401727/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, a few studies (on Danish, Chinese, and Italian populations) found the minor variant protective [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22349573/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4232517/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15562023/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nevertheless, two meta-analyses failed to find an association between this polymorphism and type 2 diabetes in either Asians or Caucasians [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21751002/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3554780/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In Japanese diabetics, &lsquo;T&rsquo; was associated with a reduced insulin secretion, and earlier, more frequent need for insulin therapy. Similarly, Chinese carriers of this variant showed worse response to the glucose-lowering drugs repaglinide and rosiglitazone [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14747301/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22393835/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2732936/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This polymorphism is not associated with diabetic kidney disease and the results concerning its link to eye damage are mixed [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7198021/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4232517/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30359091/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, diabetic carriers of the &lsquo;T&rsquo; variant had increased risk of nerve damage and ischemic stroke, as well as worse survival after a heart attack [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16567833/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6493598/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/19527523/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><strong>How It Works</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This polymorphism is located in the region that controls gene expression (the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">promoter</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3092578/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several studies showed that the minor &lsquo;T&rsquo; variant increases </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">expression in the fatty tissue, pancreas, and liver [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11381268/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14747301/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25351290/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The minor variant of this polymorphism, which increases <em>UCP2 </em>expression, has been associated with reduced obesity rates in Europeans. This variant also seems associated with higher blood fats and worse outcomes of type 2 diabetes.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Rs660339</strong>&nbsp;</span></h3> <h4><strong>Obesity</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The minor &lsquo;A&rsquo; variant of the </span><a href="../../../snp/rs660339"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs660339</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> polymorphism has been associated with higher obesity rates, BMI, and body fat in several studies on Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese, Spanish, and Mexican populations [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18956255/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19950601/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15061987/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10751530/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17502873/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17894153/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30204480/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21883184/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6082227/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, some studies (on Italian, Danish, and Japanese populations) failed to find this association and a Javanese one even found this variant </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">protective </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">in men [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14759071/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9349606/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9709950/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6347053/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nevertheless, three different meta-analyses concluded that this variant is associated with obesity, especially in Asians [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4287797/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013025/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24752406/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><strong>Weight Changes</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;A&rsquo; variant wasn&rsquo;t associated with weight gain in Dutch populations but enhanced the effects of risk variants at other genes (</span><a href="https://www.selfdecode.com/gene/cntf/?utm_source=seo&amp;#38;utm_medium=selfhacked&amp;#38;utm_campaign=id00002"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNTF</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in women and </span><a href="../../article/il6-athletic-performance-68"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL6</span></em></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">in men) during a follow-up period [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12075579/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19833146/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In diabetics, the variant predicted increased weight gain from antidiabetic medication (rosiglitazone and pioglitazone) [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18996102/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several studies on Brazilian, Chinese, and Taiwanese populations found that the &lsquo;A&rsquo; variant increased weight loss from surgery. However, the effects may not be sustained in the long term: one study associated this variant with eating more calories and carbohydrates after the surgery [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27743836/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19760975/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17894153/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21720911/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><strong>Diabetes</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The minor &lsquo;A&rsquo; variant was associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes and higher insulin resistance in several studies on American, Chinese (only if overweight), and Taiwanese populations [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15951317/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12915397/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5848510/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17502873/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, other studies (on American, Chinese, Japanese, and Danish populations) couldn&rsquo;t find this association. The variant was even </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">protective </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">in Chinese and Asian Indians [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2586599/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24065674/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9709950/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10337857/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4232517/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21175267/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Similarly, a Swedish study couldn&rsquo;t associate it with susceptibility to metabolic syndrome [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12385772/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nevertheless, two meta-analyses concluded that the &lsquo;A&rsquo; variant is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in Asian but not in European populations [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21751002/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3554780/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition, the &lsquo;A&rsquo; variant (both alone and combined with other </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">polymorphisms) is associated with increased kidney and eye damage from diabetes [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4517748/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22134120/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19681913/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><strong>How It Works</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;A&rsquo; variant causes an amino acid change that is, however, unlikely to alter the function of the protein. Some scientists believe that this variant simply reflects the effects of other </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">polymorphisms inherited together with it [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013025/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21883184/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Carrying two copies of this variant has been associated with reduced energy expenditure and fat burning in Danish adults and obese Indonesian children, possibly explaining its contribution to obesity [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10557023/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23412863/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The minor variant of this polymorphism has been associated with increased obesity and type 2 diabetes rates, especially in Asians.</span></p> <h2><strong>Your <em>UCP2 </em>Results for Weight</strong></h2> <p>*9071486481019919*</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>SNP Summary and Table</strong></h3> <p><strong>Primary SNP:</strong></p> <p><strong><em>UCP2 </em></strong><strong>rs659366&nbsp;</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = normal risk of obesity</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = reduced risk of obesity in Europeans</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Approximately 50% of the world population carries one copy of each allele</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; variant is slightly less common in people of European ancestry</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>Other Important SNPs:</strong></p> <p><strong><em>UCP2 </em></strong><strong>rs660339&nbsp;</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = normal risk of obesity and diabetes</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = increased risk of obesity and diabetes, especially in Asians</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The genotype distributions are very similar to those of rs659366 for all ethnicities</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; is rarest in South Asian descendants</span></li> </ul> <p>*1736786332512885*</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2><strong>Recommendations to Improve Weight Control</strong></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">You may try the complementary approaches listed below if you and your doctor determine that they could be appropriate for you. Discuss the strategies listed here with your doctor. Remember that none of them should ever be done in place of what your doctor recommends or prescribes.</span></em></p> <p>*9676950191537093*</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>Diet</strong></h3> <h4><strong>Low-Calorie Mediterranean Diet</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Mediterranean diet is rich in fruits and vegetables, and includes regional foods such as </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/olive-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">olive oil</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, nuts, whole grains, fish, and wine. It contains more fiber and polyunsaturated fatty acids (&lsquo;healthy fat&rsquo;) than a standard Western-style diet.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; variant of rs659366 reduced the risk of obesity in Indonesian adolescents eating high-fat diets. In French adolescents, this variant altered energy metabolism to obtain more energy from carbohydrates and less from fats [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4858618/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14693721/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;A&rsquo; variant of rs660339 was associated with reduced weight loss from calorie restriction in Korean women. Conversely, Korean women on a very-low-calorie diet and obese Taiwanese taking an appetite-suppressant drug lost more weight if they carried the &lsquo;T&rsquo; variant of rs659366 [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18031357/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17544366/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20359253/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A study on Brazilian women found that the UCP2 protein contributed to the effectiveness of a low-calorie diet [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27759071/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several studies in mice and rats found that </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">expression is increased in fatty tissue as a response to high-fat Western diets [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC19963/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15522905/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10913028/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24314865/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Mediterranean diet is an effective alternative to low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets in weight-loss interventions. Because it improves both blood fat levels and sugar control, this diet also helps prevent heart disease and metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20973675"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18635428"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4538272/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3913651/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This diet is most effective when calorie-restricted. Eating low-calorie diets helps reduce fat buildup and food cravings while increasing </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/adiponectin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">adiponectin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> levels and fat burning [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6226249/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25985324"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><strong>Coffee</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an Indonesian study, carriers of the &lsquo;T&rsquo; variant at rs659366 lost more weight and body fat in response to high coffee intake [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334331/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/caffeine-benefits/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Caffeine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> increased </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">expression in the brown fat and muscles of obese mice, as well as in cultured cells [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22710994/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12010181/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Caffeine is a well-known metabolic booster. In 12 clinical trials on 135 people, caffeine (100-600 mg/day) increased energy use and fat burning. Paradoxically, the effects were more pronounced in lean than in overweight people. Caffeine also helped maintain weight loss in 2 long-term studies on 2,500 people [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7293955"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7369170"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2912010"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2333832"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11694607"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14684395"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7485480"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7611396"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7486839"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26554757"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16076989"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><strong>Chilli Peppers (Capsaicin)</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a clinical trial on overweight and obese people, a 12-week treatment with non-spicy capsaicin analogs isolated from chilli peppers caused abdominal fat loss. Carrying the &lsquo;T&rsquo; variant at rs659366 further enhanced their effects [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3151435/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both capsaicin and a non-spicy analog (capsiate) increased </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">expression in fatty tissues and reduced fat buildup in animal and cell-based studies [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12959953/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24479662/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21626599/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/capsaicin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Capsaicin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> activates receptors (</span><a href="https://www.selfdecode.com/gene/trpv1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">TRPV1</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) that may speed up the metabolism, increase energy expenditure, and reduce appetite by activating key proteins of energy metabolism [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3699483/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13129472"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22378725"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15611784"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When ingested orally with </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">green tea</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, capsaicin reduced appetite and food intake in human studies [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5426284/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24941669/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you like spicy food, you&rsquo;re in luck: capsaicin is found in chili peppers and is responsible for their spicy flavor. The spicier the pepper, the more capsaicin it contains [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13129472"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22378725"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><strong>Fish &amp; Seafood</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In mice and rats, dietary </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fish oil</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> increased </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">expression in the muscles and fatty tissues, resulting in an increased fat burning [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25011388/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10334920/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19907107/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29645025/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27130153/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fish is hypothesized to reduce leptin; higher leptin is associated with obesity. In young, overweight men, the inclusion of fatty fish or </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fish oil</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> as part of an energy-restricted diet resulted in approximately 1 kg more weight loss after 4 weeks compared to a similar diet without seafood or a supplement [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15361771"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17502874"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fish oil&rsquo;s anti-inflammatory effects have the ability to indirectly aid in fat metabolism in people with high inflammation or metabolic syndrome. It can increase the secretion of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/adiponectin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">adiponectin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which is responsible for breaking down fats [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18065585/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16567512/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a large meta-analysis of 21 clinical trials, fish oil in combination with lifestyle changes significantly reduced waist-to-hip ratio although it failed to improve weight loss [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4646500/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Eating a low-calorie Mediterranean diet, as well as increasing the intake of coffee, chilli peppers, and fish or seafood, help reduce weight. Some <em>UCP2 </em>variants may enhance or reduce the effects of these dietary interventions.</span></p> <h3><strong>Lifestyle</strong></h3> <h4><strong>Exercise</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;A&rsquo; variant of rs660339 has been associated with increased endurance in Polish, Danish, Russian, and Indonesian studies. Unfortunately, this seems due to reduced energy expenditure and fat burning [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6231335/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11319648/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10557023/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19653005/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23412863/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; variant of rs659366 was also associated with increased energy efficiency in response to endurance training in a British study. This means that endurance training doesn't help people with the 'T' variant lose as much weight [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3330832/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In mice and rats, endurance training reduced </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">expression in the muscles and increased energy efficiency. Conversely, exhaustive training increased UCP2 levels in white fat and muscles [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9506477/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6194215/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3889676/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17603293/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3556863/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">High-intensity </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-14-proven-health-benefits-exercise-references-mechanisms/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">exercise</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is probably the best strategy to </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-effective-ways-to-lose-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">lose weight</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. In addition to promoting fat and calorie burning, it may increase the levels of chemicals that support mental health and suppress appetite such as the neurotransmitters </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/norepinephrine-stress-hormone/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">norepinephrine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/endorphins/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">endorphins</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and the neurotrophin </span><a href="../../article/boost-plasticity-with-the-bdnf-gene-50"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/5124188"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://www.news-medical.net/news/20120717/Mu-opioid-receptors-put-brakes-on-appetite.aspx"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/neuro.24.005.2010/full"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aerobic exercise (like walking, running, swimming, etc) has also been shown to cause major reductions in belly fat in multiple studies. Although the reason is not fully understood, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-yoga/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">yoga</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> can be a useful tool for </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-effective-ways-to-lose-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">weight loss</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> too [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17637702"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21951360"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4995338/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5098025/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5198375/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><strong>Cold Exposure</strong></h4> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/12-reasons-embrace-cold/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cold</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> exposure increased </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">expression in animal studies, especially if the animals were young and overweight (but not diabetic) [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12136267/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11003997/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10481056/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cold increases metabolism and energy expenditure as the body has to adapt and produce more heat. In a clinical trial of 50 healthy men, those exposed to a cool environment overnight for a month had a 42% increase in brown fat with a corresponding 10% increase in metabolism [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4207391/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">High-intensity exercise and cold exposure help reduce weight by increasing energy expenditure and UCP2 levels. Conversely, endurance training increases energy efficiency and reduces <em>UCP2 </em>expression.</span></p> <h3><strong>Supplements</strong></h3> <h4><strong>Green Tea</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">green tea</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and its active compound epigallocatechin gallate (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EGCG</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) increased </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">expression in both animals fed high-fat diets and fatty cells. In the animal studies, this resulted in reduced fat levels in fatty tissues, blood, and liver [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15738931/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19932867/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19390166/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32007822/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19202275/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19535224/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">EGCG caused between 0.2 and 3.5 kg of weight loss in limited human studies. Green tea, meanwhile, is hypothesized to make us burn more calories, even at rest. In most studies, this amounts to a modest 3-4% increase in energy, though some studies have shown an increase as high as 8%. For a 2,000 calorie diet, 3-4% amounts to an additional 60-80 calories per day [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19597519/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28627214/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29914623/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27883924/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In one study of 60 obese individuals, the group taking green tea extract lost 7.3lbs and burned 183 more calories per day (on average) after 3 months [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18006026"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17882140"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><strong>Calcium</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In mice fed a high-fat and -sugar diet, supplementation with calcium reduced weight gain and increased the expression of the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP3 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">genes [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16520808/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15514275/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A clinical trial of 53 people found that </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/calcium-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">calcium</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (600 mg/day) and </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (125 IU/day) enhanced weight loss when combined with a restricted diet [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23297844"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In another study of 32 obese adults, increased dietary calcium promoted weight loss and fat loss, primarily in the abdomen. Participants who ate a low-calcium diet experienced about 19% of their fat loss from the abdominal region, while those who ate a high-calcium diet experienced about 50% [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15090625/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, a recent review of 41 studies concluded that calcium supplements don&rsquo;t increase total weight loss [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3599592/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><strong>Conjugated Linoleic Acids</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Conjugated linoleic acids (</span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/conjugated-linoleic-acid/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">CLA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) are poly-unsaturated fatty acids. Studies have shown that CLAs decrease lipid storage by increasing the rate of fat breakdown in fat tissue [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23956445"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In animal studies, including CLA in the diet prevented obesity and increased </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">expression in fatty tissues (both white and brown), muscles, and mammary glands [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12458620/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16807088/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11015475/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10969838/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29633859/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A clinical trial on overweight Chinese subjects found that CLA supplementation over a 12-week period reduced body weight, BMI, total fat mass, fat percentage, waist to hip ratio, and subcutaneous fat mass [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22261578"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><strong>Berberine</strong></h4> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/berberine-19-health-benefits-of-berberine-with-references/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Berberine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is an alkaloid with potent metabolic effects. People use berberine as a supplement to support weight control and glucose metabolism.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In animal studies, dietary berberine increased the expression of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UCP2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">and other genes involved in energy metabolism [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2952334/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3167861/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181327/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Berberine supplementation reduced BMI and enhanced leptin sensitivity in 37 patients with metabolic syndrome. In another study, it caused an average</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-effective-ways-to-lose-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> weight loss</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of 5 lbs (2.3 kg) and lowered blood lipids [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3310165/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22739410"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a 2020 review of human and animal studies, berberine might contribute to weight loss by improving </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/how-your-gut-microbiota-can-make-you-fat-or-thin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">gut microbiota</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and glucose and fat metabolism [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32353823/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Preliminary research in animals suggests that supplementing with EGCG, calcium, CLA, and berberine may help lose weight, in part by increasing UCP2 levels.</span></p>
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221 | content_learn_more_1736786332512885_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your UCP2 gene is associated with slightly higher obesity rates. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of obesity, just one gene related to it. Gene-specific lifestyle, dietary, and supplement interventions may help you maintain a healthy weight. Keep reading to find out more.
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rsIDs = rs660339,rs659366
rsStatus = rs660339,UCP2,chr11,73978059,G,A,,,24,10,HET
rsStatus = rs659366,UCP2,chr11,73983709,C,T,,,37,0,Normal
