What is Visceral Fat?
Visceral fat is a dangerous type of fat that lies deep in the abdominal cavity, surrounding the vital organs. It is also known as “organ fat” or “intra-abdominal fat”.
Visceral fat has been linked with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Why? Because it secretes inflammatory compounds called cytokines, which can affect your insulin levels.
The good news is that we can do something about visceral fat. That’s right—there are several ways to help reduce visceral fat on your body. Here are 4 fool-proof ways to help melt visceral fat:
- Cut out processed foods and sweets
When trying to lose visceral belly fat, it’s important to eliminate highly processed foods from your diet as well as desserts. Processed foods should be avoided because they contain additives like sugar, salt and preservatives which promote weight gain. These harmful ingredients will also increase inflammation in your body which can contribute to the development of visceral belly fat over time.
- Get enough sleep
Getting enough sleep has been linked to reducing the visceral fat levels in people who don’t get enough sleep at night. Experts recommend getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night to reduce your risk of obesity-related diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes as well as mental health disorders like depression, anxiety and stress.
- Exercise regularly
To combat visceral fat, experts suggest including cardio exercise and strength training in your workout routine. Aerobic exercises helps burn calories and strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system. Meanwhile, strength training builds muscle mass which helps boost the number of calories you burn at rest.
- Avoid trans fats
Studies have linked consumption of trans fats with visceral fat gain (5). Trans fats are found in processed and fried foods such as chips, baked goods, frozen pizza and fast food burgers. Trans fats raise LDL (bad cholesterol) levels and increases your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.