Visceral fat: what is it, what risks does it pose and why get rid of it?

Visceral fat is much more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. It accumulates around the organs inside the abdominal cavity and provokes serious diseases.

Visceral fat is the fat that accumulates between the internal organs in the abdominal cavity. When it is small, it is not noticeable and does not entail negative consequences. However, the thicker the layer, the higher the risk of serious diseases. This is the most dangerous type of adipose tissue.

How to know if you have visceral fat

  • This type of fat is most commonly found in excess in older and middle-aged men. However, it also happens to women. The abdomen grows round and firm.
  • It increases from regular alcohol consumption, overeating and lack of movement. Toxins are formed in the body that destroy blood vessels, increase sugar levels and provoke chronic inflammation.

There is a genetic predisposition to the accumulation of visceral fat.

What amounts of visceral fat create health risks

Medical professionals do not give exact numbers on this. According to the most common opinion, a person is fine if visceral accounts for up to 10% of total body fat.

Only MRI or CT can reveal the exact content of this type of fat in the body.

  1. You can assess the risks by eye by the type of figure – Owners of the “apple” silhouette (slender legs and hips, a bulging stomach) are more prone to the appearance of excess visceral fat. People with pear-shaped builds (bulky hips, not too big belly) are less likely to have this problem.
  2. Apply the following calculation formula – Divide the circumference of the waist at the height of the navel by the circumference of the hips at the widest point. WHO considers normal values ​​below 0,85 for women, below 0,9 for men. Higher ratios may indicate the accumulation of fat around the internal organs.

Increased amounts of visceral fat are typical for those whose body mass index exceeds 30. But even with a normal BMI, unwanted body fat of this type can be present – especially if a round stomach hints at it.

What diseases are caused by visceral fat?

The fat layer is not just accumulated energy reserves. It performs an endocrine function, releasing hormones and other active substances into the body:

  • leptin;
  • adiponectin;
  • resistin;
  • inflammatory cytokines;
  • sex steroids;
  • glucocorticoids.

Compared to subcutaneous fat, visceral fat leads to hormonal imbalance faster. When its volume reaches 15% of the total body fat, it is fraught with the development of dementia, hypertension, diabetes and oncology. The concentration of triglycerides in the blood increases. The share of harmful cholesterol increases significantly, the percentage of useful cholesterol drops.

Patients with a characteristic round abdomen are often diagnosed with the following cardiovascular problems

  • thrombosis;
  • atherosclerosis;
  • hypertension;
  • stroke;
  • heart attacks;
  • ischemia.

The more visceral fat in the body, the smaller the brain as a whole and especially the hippocampus (the part that is responsible for memory and the formation of emotions). Older people are more likely to experience dementia.

The threat of developing asthma is directly proportional to the concentration of cytokines in the body. This inflammatory disease is 37% more likely to be diagnosed in women with a BMI within the normal range, but with significant amounts of fat around the internal organs.

Visceral fat is becoming one of the prerequisites for the development of the following types of cancer

  • pancreas;
  • the esophagus;
  • endometrium of the uterus;
  • breasts in postmenopausal women;
  • colorectal;
  • carcinomas.
  1. The fat layer in the abdominal cavity prevents the cells from utilizing insulin and glucose from the blood in order to convert them into energy. This condition is called insulin resistance. Due to the increase in the level of insulin in the bloodstream, an insulin-like growth factor is formed.
  2. This substance provokes the formation of both malignant and benign formations (benign ones include, for example, keratomas and papillomas).
  3. From visceral fat, retinol-binding protein 4 enters the body, due to which the body becomes more resistant to insulin. Because of this, people are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. The disease is easier in those people whose BMI is within the normal range and who manage to lose weight in the abdomen.

How to get rid of belly fat

To free your internal organs from unwanted fat, you need to:

  • drink plenty of water daily;
  • refuse fast food, trans fats and easily digestible carbohydrates;
  • exercise regularly – ideally, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise.

No need to torture yourself with strict diets. Good results are achieved with intermittent or intermittent fasting.

  • In the first case, you should completely starve or reduce your calorie intake to a minimum of 1-3 days a week.
  • In the second case, the day is divided into 2 parts: you can eat for 8 hours, then 16 hours of fasting come.

On days of normal nutrition, according to such a system, you can not deny yourself anything, except for fast food and trans fats. Visceral fat disappears faster than subcutaneous fat. If you have the motivation to get rid of it is not at all difficult.

 

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