Visceral Fat :All You Should Know.
Unlike the subcutaneous fat that lies beneath the skin and is visible to the eyes and felt with the hands, Visceral fats are not just so.Visceral fats are stored deep inside the belly and wrapped around the body organs such as the liver and intestines.
Perhaps,you may be wondering if it’s possible for a size 8 or 10 to have visceral fat,as it is often times believed that issues concerning fat are only associated with obese people. Apparently,it is. Outside obesity and genetics which are seen as causative factors of visceral fat, stress on the other hand,plays a vital role in storing visceral fat.When subjected to stress, your body releases an hormone called Cortisol which increases how much visceral fat your body stores.So whether fat or skinny, the are several chances of your body storing up visceral fat.
Alright! Let’s take a close look at some effects excessive visceral fat can exert on your body,if totally ignored.
Effects Of Visceral Fat
As opposed to subcutaneous fat, which produces a higher proportion of beneficial molecules, visceral fat produces certain molecules which can hamper the normal functioning of your body. Some of these deleterious effects are metabolic syndromes which includes:
Hypertensive Disorder
Health conditions like obesity lowers normal body adiponectin level. Adiponectin is an hormone produced by adipose tissue in your body. It is anti-inflammatory in function,also responsible for regulating glucose level as well as fatty-acid breakdown. Excessive growth of visceral fat around body organs can cause inflammation and a high increase in blood pressure.
High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is an essential compound in the body. It supports the building up of cells and other hormones. A publication by the Harvard Medical School stated that "20% of the cholesterol in the bloodstream comes from the food we eat,then our body makes the rest".In contrast,a high level of cholesterol can make your body develop fatty deposits, obstruct blood flow which can result to a heart attack or stroke.
Insulin Resistance
Body cells and organs needs energy to function. Thus, insulin is the hormone responsible for supplying organ and cells with the required amount of glucose to perform its activities. Research has it that visceral fat is linked to insulin resistance. Visceral secretes a protein called Retinol-Binding Protein 4(RBP4) which increases insulin resistance, gradually deteriorating to Type 2 diabetes.
How To Know I Have Visceral Fat
It is fair to note that an increase in belly size is an indicator of excessive growth of visceral fat.
Also,a simple, easy and affordable way to check if your body is developing an excess of this fat is the waist measurement:Here, a tape is used to measure the waistline at the level of the navel. If your waistline measures 40inches or more as a man and 35 inches or more as a woman,then it shows your body storage of visceral fat is increasing. This measurement doesn't apply to children and pregnant women.
Alternatively, other methods such as MRI, CT, or DEXA scan are used but these methods are expensive and unaffordable for most people.
How Do I Loose Visceral Fat?
It shouldn't come as a surprise to you that loosing visceral fat will have to do with forsaking some habit and taking up new ones.
Loosing visceral fat will require you paying apt attention to your diet type and portion size, consuming more of fruits,whole grains and vegetables.
Aside dieting, setting out time daily (at least 30 to 45 minutes)for physical activities like sit-up, running and jogging will help in controlling your body weight as well as trimming down excessive abdominal fat.
