Minimize The Amount Of Dangerous Visceral Fat By Making This Simple Lifestyle Change

Lodged deep within the abdominal cavity, visceral fat is considered the most harmful type of belly fat. This is because it is located near vital organs like the intestines, liver, and stomach. Visceral fat build-up increases your risk of developing life-threatening conditions like type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart attack. It is, therefore, important to address the main cause of visceral fat build-up to minimize the risks.

The Major Culprits

Health experts and medical professionals alike are one in saying that among the major contributors of visceral fat build-up is consuming unhealthy foods and leading a sedentary lifestyle. A diet that is heavy in carbohydrates can lead to visceral fat accumulation.

There is also another culprit that is seen by health experts also to cause the accumulation of visceral fat. According to recent research, stress is another major contributor to visceral fat build-up.

The adrenal glands of the body can be stimulated by stress, causing it to produce more stress hormones called cortisol. Recent and previous studies have shown that too much cortisol increases the amount of visceral fat.

A New Study

Recently, researchers discovered that women who have large waistlines in proportion to their hips, a clear indication of visceral fat, are likely to produce more cortisol when they are stressed. They also found that stress generates a negative cycle of overindulging, which in turn can cause the accumulation of visceral fat. Moreover, stress also results in sleep loss, yet another factor seen to contribute to the accumulation of visceral fat.

Many studies have already proven that lack of sleep increases the risk of visceral fat build-up. These findings were further strengthened by evidence showing that increasing sleep time can help in minimizing belly fat. A six-year study involving 293 volunteers found that increasing sleep time from six hours to at least seven or eight hours can reduce visceral fat accumulation by around 26%.

Minimizing Stress

The NHS stated that exercise, aside from directly minimizing visceral fat, can help ease the symptoms linked to stress. It can also help you have more control over your thoughts and aid you in dealing with stress-inducing tasks.

Aside from exercise, surrounding yourself with family and friends to act as a strong support network can help defend against increasing stress levels. This is the opinion of Professor Cary Cooper, a University of Lancaster occupational health expert.

Professor Cooper said that if you fail to connect with other people, you may be depriving yourself of solid support in times of need. Activities you have with friends, like sharing a good laugh with them, help you in relaxing and relieve you of stress.

Other stress relievers include engaging in a new hobby, like learning a new language or sports. This is better than relaxing in a passive manner, such as watching TV most of the time.