Visceral fat is deemed dangerous to a person’s health because of where it’s stored in the body – in the abdominal cavity next to many vital organs, including the pancreas, liver and intestines. Being so close to these internal organs poses a number of health risks, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. So what can be done to reduce visceral fat? Eating a poor diet can lead to visceral fat build-up, so making changes to what you eat and drink can help. People with high levels of visceral fat should cut down on certain food and drink, and three drinks that should be avoided are alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice.
Alcohol
Drinking too much alcohol can affect many aspects of a person’s health, one of these being visceral fat.
Research has suggested too much alcohol can make a person gain belly fat.
Observational studies link heavy alcohol consumption to a significantly increased risk of central obesity (fat storage around the waist).
While alcohol doesn’t need to be cut out altogether, cutting back on it may help to reduce your waist size.
In a study involving 1,000 people, those who drank alcohol daily but averages less than one drink per day had less belly fat than those who drank less frequently but consumed more alcohol on the days they drank.
Sugar-sweetened beverages
Studies have shown sugary drinks can lead to increased fat in the liver.
An eight-week study involving 69 overweight men and women found those 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 which has proven effective at reducing visceral fat is the ketogenic, or keto, diet.
A study involving 28 overweight and obese adults found those who followed a ketogenic diet lost more fat, especially visceral fat, than people following a low-fat diet.
The participants did this while eating roughly 300 more calories per day.
Getting a certain amount of sleep a night may also help get rid of visceral fat.
