Dr Zoe Williams discusses visceral fat on This Morning
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Visceral fat is stubborn fat in your abdominal cavity around your organs. Carrying too much visceral fat is extremely harmful, but there are ways of getting rid of it. Here’s how to spot visceral fat, and how to lose it.
Visceral fat is the fat in your abdomen that wraps around your internal organs.
Unlike the fat we might carry on other areas of our body that you can see and pinch, called subcutaneous fat, it can be hard to judge how much visceral fat you have.
Tell-tale signs that you’re carrying too much visceral fat are a thick waist and a protruding tummy.
High levels of visceral fat are linked to many serious health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, heart disease and some cancers
Why is visceral fat so bad?
The fat cells that make up visceral fat don’t just sit there on your body, but they actually produce hormones and inflammatory substances.
The longer that visceral fat stays on your body, the more inflammation it will cause. This inflammation increases the risk of chronic disease.
For instance, long-lasting inflammation can cause plaque (a combination of cholesterol and other substances) in the arteries which then increases your chances of developing heart disease.
Visceral fat can also cause fatty acids to travel to the liver. If fat builds up in the liver, this can cause insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
How to get rid of visceral fat
Like any other type of fat, to lose visceral fat you’re going to need to make some changes to your diet and increase your exercise. Here are six steps you can take to lose visceral fat.
Do more cardio
Cardio, also known as aerobic exercise, is king when it comes to fighting fat. Cardio is exercise that really gets your heart pumping, and it burns lots of calories.
Analysis of 15 studies found that regular moderate to high-intensity aerobic exercises were most effective at shedding visceral fat, even without dieting. But for the most effective results, you should combine regular exercise with a healthy diet.
Your choice of cardio might depend on your level of fitness. If you’re just starting out, why not try going for a brisk walk or a bike ride?
The most important thing is doing something that gets you moving, and trying to do it two to three times a week.
As your fitness improves, you can challenge yourself to jogging, running or taking an aerobics class.
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Eat more soluble fibre
There are two types of fibre: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibre develops a gel-like consistency, which slows digestion and therefore makes you feel fuller for longer.
A study of over 1,000 people found that adding an extra 10 grams of soluble fibre to their daily diet reduced their risk of gaining visceral fat.
To get more soluble fibre, try eating sweet potatoes, legumes, grains and flaxseeds. You can also get a soluble fibre supplement.
Drink less alcohol
It is well known that drinking too much alcohol isn’t good for you or your diet.
Many studies have shown alcohol can encourage fat to be stored as visceral fat.
Avoid trans fats
Trans fats are created by adding hydrogen to vegetable oils in order to give them a longer shelf life. For this reason, they are added to processed foods like crisps.
Trans fats increase visceral fat and can lead to many other health problems.
Limit your sugar intake
Studies have shown that people who eat more added sugar have higher levels of visceral fat.
Added sugar contains high levels of fructose which, when you eat it, is turned into fat by your liver.
You can reduce the amount of added sugar you eat by sticking to natural whole foods, like vegetables, lean meat, fish and fruits.
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