Excessive visceral fat leads to diabetes. Can drinking green tea eliminate it? Dr. Liu Boen: 4 tips to eliminate visceral fat

Do people with a lot of fat always look fat? Are all fats bad? That’s not necessarily true! In fact, proper good fat is necessary for the body. As for visceral fat, its function is to protect the internal organs from being damaged by collisions. However, it is an indisputable fact that excessive visceral fat will not only cause "belly enemies", but also fatty liver, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases are closely related to it! How can we get rid of visceral fat? There is a rumor that "eating more kelp sprouts, green tea, and natto can eliminate visceral fat?" Is it true? Let’s hear what the famous weight loss doctor Liu Bowen has to say.

What is visceral fat?

What is visceral fat? Liu Bowen, executive director of the Taiwan Obesity Education and Prevention Association and a weight loss specialist, said that visceral fat is located deep in the abdominal cavity and covers the organs in the body: the heart, liver, pancreas, kidneys, intestines, ovaries and uterus, and is also stored in the internal organs. The function of visceral fat is to protect the internal organs from being damaged by collisions. However, if too much fat is accumulated due to obesity, metabolic syndrome will occur, and physiologically, the three highs, fatty liver, insulin resistance and hypoxia syndrome will appear.

Visceral fat is sometimes difficult to see from the outside because patients may not have much subcutaneous fat and may not look very fat. It can only be detected through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography scans.

Visceral fat is a key factor in increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Study: Visceral obesity increases risk of type 2 diabetes

According to researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden, for every extra kilogram of visceral fat a woman has, her risk of developing type 2 diabetes may increase by more than seven times, and by twice in men. Too much fat surrounding organs such as the liver, kidneys, and intestines can cause insulin resistance, which in turn impairs sugar metabolism and leads to so-called type 2 diabetes (also known as acquired diabetes, which has a different pathological mechanism from type 1 diabetes in that the pancreas itself is unable to secrete enough insulin). It can be said that visceral fat is a key factor in increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Rumor has it online: Can eating more kelp sprouts, green tea, and natto eliminate visceral fat?

Recently, some foreign scholars have suggested eating more kelp sprouts, barley, natto, green tea, mackerel, etc. to help eliminate visceral fat. What is the truth? Dr. Liu Boen analyzed that the nutritional components of these foods show that, for example, kelp sprouts contain iodine, which is closely related to the synthesis of the thyroid gland. Thyroxine is related to metabolic rate. In addition to dietary fiber, barley also contains β-glucan. These high-molecular polymers cannot pass through the intestinal wall cells and therefore cannot be broken down, absorbed, and generate heat like starch. Mackerel is also a protein-containing food with extremely low calories and can be consumed as a low-calorie food. In addition to tannic acid, general green tea beverages are also rich in catechins, which can increase the physiological metabolic rate. According to a study published in the authoritative medical journal Gut, green tea combined with a Mediterranean diet can help reduce visceral fat after 18 months of long-term consumption.

As for the natto food commonly seen on the Internet, it contains an ingredient called nattokinase, which can prevent high cholesterol and thus help prevent cardiovascular disease. It also has the effect of increasing the metabolic rate. Natto is also rich in vitamin B12, which is an important component for repairing body cells. However, you should also pay attention to the balance of calories during the weight loss process. If the starch content is too low, it will cause the risk of ketoacidosis in the long run.

The accumulation of visceral fat does not mean it will disappear permanently. As long as you take appropriate measures and combine exercise with diet, you can still minimize your visceral fat.

High-fiber foods such as whole grains and vegetables can inhibit food digestion and nutrient absorption, increase satiety and reduce appetite, thereby reducing visceral fat.

4 tips to eliminate visceral fat

To eliminate visceral fat, you still have to start by losing weight. The following are tips to help you lose weight:

1. Reduce Sugar:

Visceral fat accumulation is related to sugars (carbohydrates). A high-sugar diet such as refined white flour and starchy vegetables (such as corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes) will increase blood sugar in the body, causing the pancreas to secrete a large amount of insulin, increasing fat accumulation.

2. Eat less red meat:

Red meat is high in calories and will also stimulate insulin secretion, which may cause fat accumulation. It is recommended that you try not to eat too much red meat, such as beef, pork, lamb, etc., and instead eat white meat, such as chicken, fish, etc.

3. Eat more dietary fiber:

High-fiber foods such as whole grains and vegetables can inhibit food digestion and nutrient absorption, increase satiety and reduce appetite, thereby reducing visceral fat. It is recommended to consume enough dietary fiber every day, at least 20 grams.

4. Sufficient exercise:

In addition to paying attention to diet, it is also recommended to get enough exercise. It is generally recommended to do aerobic exercise at least 3 days a week, each exercise lasting about 30 minutes, with an intensity of about 130 heart beats per minute, and persist in doing so. This will be of great help in eliminating visceral fat.