Vittoria Schirinzi

Dr. Vittoria Schirinzi

Endocrinology and Care of Diabetes Unit - Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria S. Orsola Malpighi, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
8 May 2023 in Nutrients
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
VSVittoria Schirinzi
Vittoria Schirinzi
CPCarolina Poli
Carolina Poli
Chiara BerteottiChiara Berteotti
Chiara Berteotti
ALAlessandro Leone
Alessandro Leone
The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity suggests that current strategies based on diet, exercise, and pharmacological knowledge are not sufficient to tackle this epidemic. Obesity results from a high caloric intake and energy storage, the latter by white adipose tissue (WAT), and when neither are counterbalanced by an equally high energy expenditure. As a matter of fact, current research is focused on developing new strategies to increase energy expenditure. Against this background, brown adipose tissue (BAT), whose importance has recently been re-evaluated via the use of modern positron emission techniques (PET), is receiving a great deal of attention from research institutions worldwide, as its main function is to dissipate energy in the form of heat via a process called thermogenesis. A substantial reduction in BAT occurs during normal growth in humans and hence it is not easily exploitable. In recent years, scientific research has made great strides and investigated strategies that focus on expanding BAT and activating the existing BAT. The present review summarizes current knowledge about the various molecules that can be used to promote white-to-brown adipose tissue conversion and energy expenditure in order to assess the potential role of thermogenic nutraceuticals. This includes tools that could represent, in the future, a valid weapon against the obesity epidemic.