Most people view body fat as relatively harmless and just something we want to get rid of to look and feel better, but did you know that certain types of dangerous fats stored around your organs can contribute to heart disease, dementia, cancer, depression, and many other illnesses?
Excess body fat and obesity are actually more than just unsightly; they are downright dangerous.
What is visceral fat?
Visceral fat technically represents an excess accumulation of intra-abdominal adipose tissue. In other words, it is known as deep fat that is stored further beneath the skin than subcutaneous fat on the belly. It is a form of fat similar to a gel that is actually wrapped around major organs, including the liver, pancreas, and kidneys.
If you have a prominent belly and a large waist, this is a clear sign that you are storing dangerous visceral fat. While it is most visible and pronounced in obese individuals, anyone can have visceral fat, many without knowing it.
Visceral fat is particularly dangerous because, as you will find out, these fat cells do more than just sit harmlessly; they change the way your body functions.
Excess visceral fat is associated with an increased risk of:
- Coronary disease
- Cancer
- Stroke
- Dementia
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Arthritis
- Obesity
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sleep disorders
Visceral fat is considered toxic and causes double trouble in the body because it is capable of causing inflammation, plus signaling molecules that can interfere with the normal hormonal functions of the body. In fact, it acts almost like its own organ, as it can have such a significant impact on the body.
Fat cells do more than just store extra calories; they have been shown to be much more involved in human physiology than we previously thought. We now know that adipose tissue actually acts like its own organ, pumping hormones and inflammatory substances. Storing excess fat around the organs increases the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals, known as cytokines, which leads to inflammation; at the same time, it interferes with hormones that regulate appetite, weight, mood, and brain function.
How does visceral fat develop?
To prevent the dangerous accumulation of fat, the body functions practically like an orchestra of chemical substances that tell us when to eat and when we are full. This chemical feedback system, which relies on communication between the brain and other major organs—specifically the brain/body connection—is responsible for either keeping us at a healthy weight or making us more susceptible to weight gain and the storage of visceral fat.
At the center of your weight, appetite control, and mood is the level of sugar in the blood, which is largely controlled by the hormone insulin. Insulin balances blood sugar levels. When we digest food, our body breaks down sugar and starch molecules into simpler units called glucose or fructose.
These simple sugars enter our bloodstream and trigger the release of insulin from the pancreas, and then insulin plays the important role of introducing blood sugar into the cells of our body. This process provides energy for the brain, tissues, and muscle function when it works correctly.
At the same time, insulin corresponds to body fat deposits, including the visceral fat stored deep in our body. This is why people often refer to insulin as the fat-storing hormone.
When there is too much glucose in our blood and our cells have already filled their glycogen reserves, glucose is stored as fat. This happens much more quickly and easily when consuming processed refined carbohydrates and sugary foods. Processed starches, such as white bread or white rice, along with sugar-rich foods, are rapidly converted into simple sugars that enter the bloodstream and trigger a greater release of insulin from the pancreas. The result is usually weight gain, plus even more hunger, leading to continued overeating and a vicious cycle that makes it difficult to stop consuming sweets.
6 Risks of High Levels of Visceral Fat
1. Increased Inflammation
A major concern is that visceral fat produces hormonal and inflammatory molecules that are dumped directly into the liver, leading to even more inflammation and hormonal disruption. If you have more fat stored than you need, especially around visceral organs like the liver, heart, kidneys, pancreas, and intestines, your body becomes inflamed, and metabolism suffers, creating a hard cycle to break.
2. Higher Risk of Diabetes
More than other types of fat, visceral fat is believed to play an important role in insulin resistance, which means an increased risk of developing diabetes. For example, abdominal fat is viewed as a greater health risk than fat on the hips or thighs, not only for diabetes but also for many other chronic diseases.
3. Hinders Weight Loss
People tend to become heavier over time, and one of the main reasons is that stored body fat affects hunger levels, especially visceral fat. It may be hard to imagine, but your metabolism is largely governed by your level of stored fat. Fat interferes with our appetite and makes us overeat due to hormonal changes that occur.
Higher insulin levels also promote a more efficient conversion of our calories into body fat, thus continuing this vicious cycle. Consuming refined carbohydrates, as opposed to complex carbohydrates in their natural state, such as vegetables and fruits, can raise the body’s set point for body weight.
The set point is practically the weight your body tries to maintain by controlling the hormonal messengers of the brain. When you eat refined carbohydrates, such as white flour and sugar, hormones that store fat are produced in excess, raising the set point and making a healthy, moderate-calorie diet more difficult. This is why it is important to break the sugar addiction and address weight gain and the formation of visceral fat early on.
4. Higher Risk for Heart Disease and Stroke
Inflammatory cytokines generated by fat are major contributors to heart disease and other inflammatory disorders. When your body is inflamed, your liver becomes overwhelmed with cholesterol and toxins, leading to plaque buildup in the arteries.
Visceral fat is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease markers, such as high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
5. Higher Risk for Dementia
An increasing number of studies indicate that there is a strong link between obesity, vascular diseases, inflammation, and cognitive decline, including dementia. In fact, it appears that excess body weight equates to a smaller brain volume and, therefore, poorer functioning in older age.
Research shows that individuals with larger bellies have a higher risk of dementia than those with smaller bellies. This is true even for individuals with excess fat in the abdomen but who have a normal weight! The larger the belly (or waist-to-hip ratio of a person), the greater the negative impact felt on the brain’s memory center called the hippocampus. In fact, many experts now consider that the level of visceral adipose tissue rather than BMI should be regarded as an important risk factor in the development of dementia.
We still do not know exactly how visceral fat and dementia are linked, but it is believed to have to do with the hormone leptin, which is released by stored fat and has adverse effects on the brain, appetite regulation, and memory. Leptin and ghrelin are two of the most important hormones you should pay attention to regarding natural weight loss.
6. Greater Likelihood of Depression and Mood Issues
Since excess body fat is linked to hormonal changes, including those of serotonin, galanin, and other brain neurotransmitters, excess body fat can negatively impact mood.
5 Ways to Reduce the Risk of Storing Visceral Fat
1. Reduce Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates
You already know that insulin is one of the most important hormones in the body, and our diet directly controls the release of insulin. Insulin plays a key role in our metabolism, helping us introduce energy from food into cells for energy. When a cell is normal and healthy, it has a high level of insulin receptors. But when a cell is exposed to high levels of insulin due to a continuous presence of high glucose, the system breaks down.
Too much insulin means that cells start to do something to adapt: they reduce the number of receptors that respond to insulin, which leads to insulin resistance. Since consuming too many refined carbohydrates and sugars raises insulin, reducing them is the first step toward naturally rebalancing hormones and reducing fat.
2. Consume Non-Starchy Vegetables, Fats, and Proteins
The base of your diet should come from natural foods that burn fat. Of course, every person is somewhat different, so you can also personalize your diet made up of whole foods based on your unique combination of genetics, health status, activity level, life circumstances, and goals.
In general, we want to aim to eat natural, nutrient-rich foods. This means avoiding packaged foods and the presence of artificial ingredients, toxins, and anti-nutrients. We also want to eat plenty of healthy fats, including coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, wild fish, nuts, and seeds that have beneficial effects on insulin balance, gut bacteria, hormones, and weight management. Additionally, healthy proteins are also important for combating hunger and reducing insulin spikes. Healthy proteins include wild fish, grass-fed beef, eggs, and raw dairy.
3. Exercise Regularly
There are many documented benefits of incorporating physical activity throughout the day and minimizing sedentary time. Exercise helps balance insulin and makes our cells more ready to use glucose. This is essential considering that, as more fat is packed in the body, it interferes with insulin absorption in our muscle tissues.
While different types of exercise can limit the cardiovascular risk resulting from visceral obesity in individuals with metabolic syndrome, a study published in The International Journal of Cardiology found that high-intensity resistance training induced a faster loss of visceral fat in adults than moderate training.
4. Reduce Stress
The importance of pleasure, play, and social connection is often overlooked when it comes to fat loss, but we know how important it is to relieve stress to overcome excess fat. Stress triggers the production of cortisol and interferes with appetite control, metabolism, and sleep.
Adaptogenic herbs can help lower cortisol, while stress-reduction techniques such as healing prayer, meditation, exercise, and reading are also beneficial. There are benefits to sun exposure (which surpass the benefits of vitamin D) and spending time outdoors to reduce stress.
5. Prioritize Good Sleep
The benefits of sleeping at least seven to eight hours a night (and minimizing exposure to artificial light sources, ideally) are well documented when it comes to hormonal control and weight. A good rest resets our appetite and stress hormones, boosts our metabolism, and keeps cravings at bay. To fall asleep quickly and stay asleep longer, try using relaxing essential oils before bed, taking a bath, avoiding excess caffeine, and ensuring you sleep in a dark and cool room.
