Why visceral fat is bad for you.

It's a fact of life that everyone has fat, and it's a good thing you do. Your body uses fat to cushion and aid organs, build new cells, and store energy. At the same time, excessive fat can be harmful to your health.

While the discussion of healthy weight usually focuses on visible fat, in reality, the topic goes much deeper.

WHAT IS VISCERAL AND SUBCUTANEOUS FAT?

The deep, inner fat stuffed around your abdominal body organs is visceral fat. The fat you squeeze on your waist, arms, legs, or anywhere else is subcutaneous fat, just below the skin.

A healthy and balanced amount of visceral fat protects organs and plays a role in your endocrine system (organs and glands that produce hormones) and immunity. But excess amounts can lead to severe issues with your productivity and overall health and wellness.

WHAT CAUSES VISCERAL FAT?

A carbohydrate-heavy diet, body swelling (such as through inflammation), stress, and anxiety can all lead to excess visceral fat. This fat signals your body's "fight-or-flight" action, which sets off the storage of more visceral fat.

Genes and hormones affect how your body stores fat, including the ratio of subcutaneous to visceral fat your body packs on. Research has revealed that cortisol (the main anxiety hormonal agent) and insulin often raise visceral fat accumulation. Simultaneously, healthy and balanced degrees of growth hormone and sex hormones may assist in lowering it. 

WHY IS VISCERAL FAT BAD FOR YOU?

While a bigger waistline area typically means more visceral fat, thinner individuals can also conceal dangerous levels of visceral fat. Studies show that regardless of visible weight problems, there is a correlation between visceral fat and insulin resistance, when cells in your body don’t respond to the hormone insulin. Research additionally links visceral fat to a host of issues like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular issues.

On top of insulin modulation, excessive visceral fat also inhibits adiponectin or the "fat” hormone, which regulates glucose levels and breaks down fatty acids. Research studies show that adiponectin degrees lower with increased levels of visceral fat. Yet, there is no relationship with subcutaneous fat. Adiponectin functions as a fat regulator, and inadequate amounts can cause your body to pack on more fat than it needs.

Furthermore, high amounts of visceral fat in addition to low adiponectin can indicate heart disease, such as high blood pressure, increased LDL or low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol), lowered HDL or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (good cholesterol), hardened arteries and hypertriglyceridemia (too much fat in the bloodstream).

Large pockets of visceral fat increase inflammation and can be tough on your liver. Fat cells in your abdominal area release proinflammatory cytokines (cells responsible for immunomodulation / the immune system) which cause inflammation and make illnesses worse.

These toxic substances and other inflammatory substances reach your liver, where they can create swelling as well as insulin resistance. Insulin is the hormonal agent that signals that fuel (food) is coming. When you are insulin resistant, your cells will not get the body’s message and will fail to absorb glucose as fuel. When this occurs, sugar remains in the bloodstream, and your body stores the sugar as fat.

VISCERAL FAT AND A BALANCED DIET

A key method of managing visceral fat is to consume a healthy diet of vegetables, quality fat, and healthy proteins, as well as decreased refined carbs, sugar, and refined foods. There isn't a single diet that lowers visceral fat. You have to learn what is the best method for you and your lifestyle.

When you adopt a low-carb, high-fat diet plan, your body burns fat as gas rather than carbs. This method is called ketosis, and it assists in ridding your body of fats while building up ketones to suppress hunger and fuel your brain.

TRY INTERMITTENT FASTING

Studies have revealed that intermittent fasting (regular mixes of consuming and not consuming food) can hold massive advantages for your body AND brain, including reducing visceral fat and increasing adiponectin levels to bring back healthy insulin levels. As mentioned in our article, does coffee break a fast, there are multiple ways to fast, but my personal favorite is 16h fasted and a 8h feeding window.

HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING (HIIT) WORKOUTS

HIIT workouts strike the perfect balance of resistance and cardiovascular training, providing you the fat-blasting advantages of both in a fraction of the time. HIIT workouts cycle between bursts of extreme, all-out exercise and also segments of fast, energetic movements, with short breaks. A good example is walking and then running.

Not only does this type of training burn fat and also develop muscle mass faster than standard workouts, it enhances insulin level of sensitivity and raises resting metabolism, maintaining your body in a fat-burning state longer. Research likewise reveals that lifestyle planning that leads to weight loss tends to target visceral fat, leading to dropped weight in the places where it matters most.

NutraV Grass-Fed Seabuck Protein is a perfect addition to your pre-workout smoothie, juice or even just water. It is 100% pure whey protein from grass-fed cows, ultra rich in amino acids. Amino acids can increase the use of fat fuel during exercise, making it easier for your body to use up visceral fat. 

It is also formulated with a powerful blend of ingredients including seabuck, ashwagandha and pomegranate. Seabuck or sea buckthorn berries have over 190 biologically active compounds that affect biological processes and aids in digestion. Ashwagandha has properties that help fight stress and promote healthy mental wellbeing. Pomegranate supports overall cardiovascular health and bone health. 

Now that you know how visceral fat can harm you, make sure to incorporate these steps into your daily life to remain fit and healthy in the long-run. And, the best time to start it is today.