A research team at University of Massachusetts is investigating a recently identified type of body fat that may have beneficial effects in the body.

Known as “beige fat,” these lipid deposits are most often found in areas of the body that have high concentrations of blood vessels, such as the neck area. Not every member of mammalian species has beige fat, but in the current mouse studies being conducted at UMass Medical School, those who do tend to be leaner. The team is currently preparing for human trials.

Click here to read the research team’s original paper on the topic, published in 2016 in Nature.