Drinking that morning cup of java can stimulate “brown fat,” your body’s fat fighting defenses, says a new study from the University of Nottingham. Brown fat, otherwise known as brown adipose tissue, or BAT, generates body heat by burning calories. The study, which was published in Scientific Reports, tested the effects of a cup of coffee on human subjects. Participants of the study would drink a cup of coffee and then scientists would use thermal imaging on them, tracing their brown fat reserves to see if they got warmer. The results were positive. Coffee “could potentially be used as part of a weight management regime or as part of glucose regulation programme to help prevent diabetes,” Professor Michael Symonds, co-director of the study, said in a statement.