Would you like to lose some of that belly fat around the middle of your waist? Have you tried all kinds of ways of getting rid of it, without much success? Well — here’s some great health advice: why not increase your daily intake of soluble fiber? According to researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, the way to cut down on belly fat is to get some exercise and add more soluble fiber to your diet.
Deep belly fat — or “visceral fat” — around the waist can be dangerous to your health. It can lead to the production of hormones and other substances linked to a number of chronic diseases.
Unlike the subcutaneous fat found just under the skin, visceral fat is located deep in the stomach. It becomes especially dangerous to your health, because it can wrap around your vital organs.
A higher rate of visceral fat is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, and fatty liver disease, say the researchers of this latest study. The team analyzed 1,114 black and Hispanic Americans, since those populations are at higher risk for high levels of visceral fat as well as developing high blood pressure and diabetes. The study looked at whether certain lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise habits, were associated with a change in the participants’ belly fat over a period of five years.
The researchers used CT scans to measure subcutaneous and visceral fat. They found that increased intake of soluble fiber was associated with a reduction in belly fat, but not subcutaneous fat.
How good was soluble fiber at melting away deep belly fat? According to the study results, for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber eaten per day, visceral fat was reduced by 3.7% over five years. In addition, regular moderate exercise (30 minutes of vigorous exercise two to four times per week) resulted in a 7.4% reduction over the same time period.
So how much would you have to eat to get 10 grams of fiber a day? The research team suggested that this could be achieved by eating two small apples, one cup of green peas, and one-half cup of pinto beans daily.
The researchers pointed out that, although there is mounting evidence that eating more soluble fiber and increasing exercise reduces visceral or belly fat, they still don’t know exactly how it works. They did give this health advice, however: a few simple changes can have a big health impact.
To help keep your weight in check, why not boost your nutritional health by adding these three sources of soluble fiber to your diet every day: vegetables; fruit; and beans.
Not only could you shed some pounds, but you could also be helping to protect yourself from a life-threatening disease.
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