|
Visceral Fat: The Hidden Danger
6-16-11
In our health-conscious society, the idea that thin equals healthy has been engrained into most people's minds. However, thin does not always equal fit, and overweight or obese doesn't automatically equate to unhealthy.
Confused? Well, a major indicator of health is something called visceral fat, which is abdominal fat or fat that is stored around the organs in the abdominal cavity. Such organs could include your liver, pancreas, stomach, intestines, kidney and other organs (1). Visceral fat is not visible from the outside, like subcutaneous fat (i.e., fat that is stored directly under the skin and causes bulging and flab) but it can be harmful (2).
Visceral
Fat Explained
What causes these fat deposits to form around your organs? There are
many factors, such as poor diet, lack of exercise, lack of sleep and
aging.
Jimmy Bell, Ph.D., a professor of molecular imaging at Imperial College, London, has been studying this subject for years. He has found that people who watch their diet but do not exercise regularly have higher amounts of visceral fat (1).
This could be a reason why even some thin people have so much of this dangerous fat. They might be eating a diet high in sugars and fats that they don't work off with exercise, but they are still eating too little to cause major weight gain (1).
On the flip side, there has been evidence that shows that obese sumo wrestlers may be healthier than the average thinner person. This is because of the amount of exercise they do, compared to the average sedentary person. Most of sumo wrestlers' fat is subcutaneous, and not embedded around their vital organs (1).
Health
Hazard
There are many dangers associated with having high amounts of visceral
fat. It increases the risk of hypertension, high serum triglycerides,
abnormal secretion of adipocytokines (3), insulin resistance, type-2
diabetes and heart disease (1).
One study has connected visceral fat with metabolic risk factors in older adults. The study concluded that the more visceral fat a person had, the more metabolic risks they suffered from. (3)
Preventing
the Problem
There are many things that can be done to ward off visceral fat. Get
the recommended amount of exercise per week, including activities like
yoga that reduce stress (4). Eat a diet high in protein (4) and dietary
fiber (5) and low in saturated fat and sugar (4).
What about supplements? Studies on the connection between supplements and visceral fat are relatively new, but there is some evidence that suggests some supplements can help.
• Calcium: Studies have shown that people who try to lose weight while consuming a lot of calcium will lose more abdominal fat than those who don't consume enough calcium (5). A study conducted at the University of Copenhagen and Aarhus found that subjects who increased their calcium intake from 700 mg/day to 2,300 mg/day more than doubled their fat loss (6).
• K r i l l oil: One study found that long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids found in krill oil can change membrane fatty acid composition. Obese rats used in the study were found to have significantly improved ectopic fat deposition and susceptibility to inflammation after consuming krill oil for four weeks. They also had lower levels of triacylglycerol concentrations in their heart and liver (7).
• Licorice extract: This extract has been shown to increase enzymes that contribute to burning fat, and prevents fat synthesis in the liver. One study found that over eight weeks, visceral fat in people taking licorice supplements decreased by up to 10% (8). See note on licorice below.
•Brown
seaweed/pomegranate combination:
This has been shown to reduce fat around the liver, which typically
precedes weight loss, as well as improve metabolic rate and lower LDL
cholesterol. A 16-week study conducted by the National Academy of Natural
Sciences in Moscow found that taking a supplement composed of brown
seaweed and pomegranate seed oil caused 150 female subjects to average
of seven to eight pounds of fat loss. Most of the fat lost was from
the abdominal area, and the women also had lower levels of triglycerides
and liver lipids (9). WF
Note on Licorice: Licorice has been used as natural remedy by many people for many years. But while licorice is not a pharmacuetical drug there are some precautions and contraindications for certain people. For example, do not take it if you are prone to high blood presssure, kidney disease, pregnant or breast feeding, or have some form of cancer. Also, if you are taking any medication check with your health care professional before using it.
References
1. MSNBC.com, "Thin People Can Be Fat On The Inside," May
11, 2007, www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18594089/ns/health-fitness,
accessed Jan. 26,2011.
2. J. Bennett, "The Deadly Tag
Team of Belly Fat and High Blood Pressure," Hive and Health Media,
Jan. 25, 2011, www.hivehealthmedia.com/deadly-tagteam- of-belly-fat-and-high-blood-pressure,
accessed Jan. 26, 2011
3. K. Nomura, et al, "Visceral
Fat Accumulation and Metabolic Risk Factor Clustering in Older Adults,"
J. Amer. Geriatrics Soc, 58,1658-1663 (2010).
4. D.F. Facet, "How to Know
if You're Skinny-Fat: Normal Weight Obesity" Mar. 26, 2010, www.associatedcontent.com/article/2822776/how_to_know_if_youre_skinny-fat_normalweight_pg2.html?cat=5,
accessed Jan. 26, 2011.
5. K. Uzoma, "Natural Remedies
to Remove Belly Fat," Jan. 4, 2011, www.livestrong.com/article/349052-natural-remedies-to-remove-bellyfat/#ixzz1CAHJxe4l,
accessed Jan. 26, 2011.
6. "Calcium: the Milk of Human
Weight Loss," Food Manufacture [serial online], January
2009, accessed via Ebsco. Jan. 28, 2011.
7. B. Batetta, M . Griinari and G.
Carta, "Endocannabinoids May Mediate the Ability of (n-3) Fatty
Acids to Reduce Ectopic Fat and Inflammatory Mediators in Obese Zucker
Rats," J. Nutr. 139 (8), 1495-1501.
8. L. Swanson, "Attack Visceral
Fat with a New, Groundbreaking, Nutrigenomic Supplement," Swanson
Health Products, www.swansonvitamins.com/health-library/products/glavonoid-licorice-flavonoid-oil-attacks-visceral-belly-fat.html,
accessed Jan. 26, 2011.
9. Livestrong, "Brown Seaweed
Causes Weight Loss," Oct. 13, 2010, www.livestrong.com/article/278623-brown-seaweed-causes-weight-loss,
accessed Jan. 28, 2011.
|
|||||||
