Visceral fat is deemed harmful because of where it’s stored in the body – in the abdominal cavity next to many vital organs. Because of its position in the body, having high levels of visceral fat can increase a person’s risk of develop serious health conditions, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But some simple changes to lifestyle can help get rid of it.
Studies show the medium-chain fats in coconut oil may boost metabolism and decrease the amount of fat you store in response to high calorie intake.
Controlled studies suggest it may also lead to abdominal fat loss.
One one study, obese men who took coconut oil daily for 12 weeks lost an average of 1.1 inches from their waists without intentionally changing their diets or exercise routines.
To boost belly fat loss, it’s best to take about two tablespoons (30ml) of coconut oil per day, which is the amount used in most of the studies.
DON’T MISS
Coconut oil has also been shown to reduce hunger, helping you eat less, which could help with visceral fat loss.
In one study, varying amounts of medium and long chain triglycerides were fed to six healthy men.
The men eating the most MCTs ate 256 fewer calories per day, on average.
Another study in 14 healthy men discovered those who ate the most MCTs at breakfast ate fewer calories at lunch.
When it comes to an overall diet to follow to get rid of visceral fat, low-carb diets have proven effective.
In an eight-week study including 69 overweight men and women, scientists found people who followed a low-carb diet lost 10 percent more visceral fat and 4.4 percent more total fat than those on a low-fat diet.
One low-carb diet shown to help reduce visceral fat is the ketogenic diet.
Also known as the keto diet, the diet drastically reduces carb intake and replaces it with fat, putting the body in a natural metabolic state called ketosis.
A study including 28 overweight and obese adults found those who followed a ketogenic diet lost more fat, especially visceral fat, than those following a low-fat diet.
The participants did so while eating roughly 300 more calories per day.
How else can you get rid of visceral fat?
Alongside making changes to diet, regular exercise can get rid of visceral fat.
Many studies have shown aerobic exercise can help you lose visceral fat, even without dieting.
An analysis of 15 studies in 852 people compared how well different types of exercise reduced visceral fat without dieting.
They found moderate and high-intensity aerobic exercises were most effective at reducing visceral fat without dieting.
