The drug mirabegron, currently prescribed to help manage an overactive bladder, has been shown to have positive effects on the metabolism, according to researchers from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Normally, brown fat in the body burns energy to generate heat, and is considered the healthier of the two options. With one 200-milligram dose of the drug, all of the 12 participants’ resting metabolism rose by 203 calories per day. This dose is higher than the approved dose of 50 milligrams per day used to control overactive bladders.
“We showed that a one-time dose of the drug mirabegron stimulates human brown adipose tissue so that it consumes glucose and burns calories,” says Dr. Aaron Cypess, lead author of the study.
