How to Eat to Reduce Visceral Fat

Most people don’t like the soft, mushy fat that’s stored just underneath their skin – but this fat is far less dangerous from a health standpoint than another more sinister type of fat called visceral adipose tissue – or visceral fat. You can’t easily see visceral fat, because it’s deep within the abdominal cavity serving as protective padding around organs such as the liver, kidneys, and intestines.

What’s So Bad about Visceral Adipose Tissue?

Visceral fat increases the risk of metabolic syndrome, a common condition which predisposes a person to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. People who have a “pot-belly” are often carrying around too much visceral fat – and so are people with a large waist measurement relative to their hips.

The reason visceral fat causes so many problems is because it makes the body more resistant to insulin, and insulin resistance is a precursor to type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Visceral adipose tissue also releases certain hormones and chemical messengers called cytokines and adipokines, which cause inflammation. Although visceral fat may provide some insulation for the internal organs, it has negative effects on overall health.

Blast Away Visceral Adipose Tissue with Diet

Obviously, you don’t want too much visceral fat hiding out in your abdominal cavity. If not, there’s good news. A simple dietary change could lower the amount of visceral adipose tissue you carry around by ten-percent. The key is to eat more whole grain foods.

When researchers measured the amount of visceral adipose tissue in more than 2,800 middle-aged and older volunteers, they found that those who ate three or more servings of whole grains each day had ten-percent less visceral fat than those who ate lesser amounts of whole grains.

On the other hand, they didn’t see this benefit in those who ate more than a serving a day of refined grains such as foods containing white flour, white rice, and most processed foods. The key to blasting away visceral fat is to substitute whole grains for refined grains.

Are You Eating Whole Grains or Refined Grains?

If you’re eating too many processed foods, white bread, white rice, pasta, and white potatoes, substitute some of these foods with whole grains such as oatmeal, whole-grain pasta, brown rice, and sweet potatoes. Skip the white bread and buy whole-wheat instead. Gradually decrease the amount of refined grains in your diet as you add in more whole-grains.

By doing this, you can lower the amount of visceral adipose tissue you carry around – as well as your risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Isn’t that a change worth making?

References:

Eurekalert.org. “Eating Mostly Whole Grains, Few Refined Grains Linked to Lower Body Fat”