Here's why you need to lose your visceral fat

There are two types of fat in your body: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is the fat that we can see just below the skin layer and above the muscle layer. It’s the kind of fat that we need to be concerned about when we talk about obesity and weight management because it affects our bodies in both negative and positive ways. Visceral fat, on the other hand, refers to the fat surrounding organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys — and this type of body fat has severe implications for health and longevity.

What is Visceral Fat?

As we age, we typically accumulate more and more fat. However, we don’t just pack on any kind of fat. Instead, we tend to gather weight around our internal organs. Visceral fat, more commonly known as body fat, is harmful for a person’s body because it is stored inside the abdominal cavity and affects many important internal organs.

The problem with visceral fat is that it puts us at risk for a number of health issues such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

What Causes Abdominal Fat?

What makes visceral fat different than subcutaneous fat? It turns out that visceral fat is actually metabolically active—meaning it produces hormones and other substances that affect your body. This has a direct impact on your health. Excess levels of visceral fat have been shown to cause inflammation throughout your body, which contributes to heart disease and diabetes. In fact, cardiovascular disease and obesity are linked to excess belly fat.

Exercises That Target Abdominal Fat

Many people resort to exercises and tactics that directly target and attack abdominal fat, but research shows they aren’t as effective as you might think. The best way to reduce visceral fat is to lose weight in general. Following a healthy diet and regular exercise routine is ideal because it will help lower your risk of heart disease, keep blood pressure levels under control, protect against diabetes, stretch your abdominal muscles and allow you to live longer.

Common Diet Mistakes

The more calories you consume, even from healthy foods, the faster your body is going to store it as fat. This happens because if your body stores excess food energy as carbohydrates or protein, it will use up those reserves first – but if there is nowhere for them to go, they will just be stored as fat. The more carbohydrates and protein that you eat, particularly simple carbs and animal proteins, then more likely you are going to have visceral fat.

Supplements that can Help

When it comes to losing visceral fat, there are certain supplements that may help. Certain ingredients may be beneficial in reducing fat and encouraging weight loss. Here are some supplements to consider:

Fish Oil – Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce visceral fat. It helps reduce inflammation and boosts metabolic rate, which can lead to fat loss.
Green Tea Extract – Green tea extract contains a powerful antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which may help reduce visceral fat.
L-Carnitine – This amino acid is involved in the metabolism of fat and helps burn fat for energy.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) – CLA is a fatty acid found in dairy products and meats that may help reduce body fat and decrease the risk of obesity-related diseases.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine – This is an amino acid that helps transport fatty acids into the mitochondria of cells, where it can be used as energy

These are just some of the supplements that may be beneficial in reducing visceral fat. However, it is important to remember that supplements alone will not make a difference in your health or weight loss journey. It is essential to focus on following a healthy lifestyle, including regular physical activity and a nutritious diet, to see the best results.

Why is Visceral Fat Dangerous?

Excess visceral fat increases your risk of major health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. Additionally, it can contribute to psychological disorders like depression and poor self-esteem. Unwanted fat that builds up around your internal organs is more than just an aesthetic problem; it could lead to serious long-term health consequences.

How to tell if I have too much Visceral Fat

In order to determine whether you have too much visceral fat, you must undergo an MRI scan (Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan). However, MRI scans are not inexpensive, so they are not recommended as a diagnosis tool for diabetes.

Measuring the waistline is a good indicator of visceral fat. As Harvard University notes, around 10% of our total fat is likely to be stored as visceral fat, so carrying more body fat than is recommended will also lead to more visceral fat storage.

Visceral fat health risks can be reliably predicted by measuring the size of the belly.

How can you reduce Visceral Fat ?

This isn’t so easy. First, you have to be patient. Reducing visceral fat will take time, maybe even years if you are obese or have recently lost a lot of weight. On top of that, many people don’t have adequate control over their diets and lifestyle habits and that makes it very difficult for them to lose belly fat. That said, there are some things you can do today to get started on your way to reduce excess visceral fat to achieve a slimmer waistline.

Exercise

Not only is exercise a great way to burn visceral fat, but it can also help boost HDL cholesterol and decrease LDL cholesterol. It is a fact that a healthy diet and exercise plan can go a long way in helping you lose weight. If you do nothing else for your health, start an exercise routine today.

Intermittent Fasting

One of my favorite methods for lowering visceral fat is intermittent fasting. In a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, researchers found that participants who fasted every other day for 24 hours lost more belly fat over a 12-week period than those who followed a normal diet. If you don’t think you can go even that long without food, there are also plenty of studies showing that alternate-day fasting doesn’t hurt your metabolism at all and may help with weight loss.

Herbs

Many common culinary herbs are effective diuretics, meaning they help rid your body of water. Combine these with a low-calorie diet and plenty of exercise, and you can enjoy weight loss without sacrificing muscle or dropping liquids too quickly. Parsley, dandelion leaves, cilantro, coriander (cilantro), basil, rosemary and thyme are all powerful diuretics — remember that if you eat these regularly, you shouldn’t need diuretic pills.

Fiber

People with high fiber diets feel fuller faster, are less likely to develop diabetes, have fewer heart problems and have lower cholesterol. Foods that are high in fiber are more difficult for your body to digest. With hard-to-digest foods, you get full faster because you take longer for your body to digest them. This also means they contain fewer calories per serving than low-fiber foods do. Most whole grains have a higher content of fiber than refined grains or processed foods do.

Caffeine

As a society, we have a great deal of respect for caffeine. We all know that coffee helps us wake up in the morning, but just how much do we really understand about our favorite bean? Even more importantly, what are some alternatives that might be better suited for some people? Here are just a few of caffeine’s benefits and drawbacks.

Should I consider Liposuction?

Liposuction is a medical procedure used to remove fat from specific parts of the body. While it is an effective method of removing subcutaneous fat, it may not be the best option when it comes to reducing visceral fat. Visceral fat is more difficult to remove because it is located inside the abdominal cavity and surrounded by organs. Since liposuction only removes fat from outside the abdominal cavity, it won’t be able to target visceral fat directly.

Conclusion

There are other options for reducing visceral fat. A healthy diet and regular exercise can help you lose visceral fat over time. You should also try to get enough sleep and reduce your stress levels, as these can affect your body’s ability to burn fat. If you’re looking for a more targeted approach, there are certain medications that have been proven to reduce visceral fat. However, it’s important to consult with your doctor before taking any medication for this purpose.

Overall, liposuction isn’t the ideal solution for reducing visceral fat. For the best results, focus on eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and finding ways to manage stress. With a few lifestyle changes, you can start seeing improvements in your visceral fat levels in no time.