Before the advent of modern technology, few were forced to concern themselves with the dangers of an overexposure to toxins, as the amount of toxins in the environment was too small to cause anyone significant damage. In today's society, however, large amounts of toxins are almost impossible to avoid. Whether you are purchasing foods filled with pesticides, beauty products high in phthalates, or storing your food in plastic containers made with bisphenol-A, you can't help but expose your body to enormous amounts of environmental toxins on a daily basis. Unfortunately, these toxins have a profoundly negative effect on your waistline as well as your overall health.
Function
One unfortunate side effect of an overexposure to toxins is an increase in belly fat. According to a study performed by Pascal Imbeault, a researcher at Laval University, exposure to large amounts of toxins can permanently damage one's mitochondria. Mitochondria are the main location where fatty acids eventually undergo beta oxidation, which means damaged mitochondria may result in impaired fat-burning. By avoiding excessive amounts of environmental toxins, you can keep your mitochondria functioning optimally and decrease your risk of accumulating belly fat.
Considerations
In addition to damaging your mitochondria, environmental toxins can also be a significant detriment to your body composition by negatively affecting your thyroid. According to a study done by Catherine Pelletier, a researcher at Laval University, increased plasma organochlorine concentrations have been found to lead to an overall decrease in serum T3 thyroid hormone concentrations, as well as a decrease in overall resting metabolic rate. Because T3 thyroid hormone is critical for proper metabolism regulation, any inhibition due to organochlorines or other toxins will significantly increase your body fat. Clearly, if you are looking to maintain a trim waistline, avoiding environmental toxins as much as possible should be a high priority.
Warning
Not only can exposing yourself to an overabundance of environmental toxins increase your belly fat, but too much belly fat can increase your endogenous levels of toxins as well. Unlike the subcutaneous fat that is stored around your hips and thighs, the fat that is found in the belly region is predominantly visceral, which has been shown to have numerous endocrinological functions including the production arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid is a precursor to interleukin-6 and many other pro-inflammatory cytokines, and has been shown to be toxic at very high levels. As more and more body fat is accumulated, the levels of arachidonic acid become much higher than your body can handle, and the result is an increased waistline and a decreased level of health.
Potential
Due to the high levels of toxins produced by visceral fat, having too large of a belly can result in a significantly weakened immune system. According to research done by Alexander Viardot, a researcher for the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, losing belly fat may be one of the most effective ways at increasing your body's ability to ward off oncoming sicknesses or infections, and those who have a large waistline are at a significantly greater risk for diseases of the immune system.
Prevention/Solution
With all of the toxins being released by body fat, and all of the negative health consequences that result, it should be no surprise that belly fat is one the most significant predictors of disease. In fact, according to studies performed by Carlos Iribarren and Eric Jacobs, waist circumference may be the single most accurate anthropometrical predictor of heart disease and all-cause mortality, even more than BMI or more traditional measurements. These studies have found that a large waist circumference is almost always an accurate predictor of disease, even when your weight is considered to be "healthy" by most standards. By decreasing your levels of belly fat, you can significantly decrease the amounts of toxins in your body, and greatly improve both your health and your body composition as a result.
References
- "American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinol Metabolism"; Weight loss induced in plasma pollutant is associated with reduced skeletal muscle oxidative capacity; Imbeault P; March 2002
- "Toxicological Sciences"; Associations between weight-loss induced changes in plasma organochlorine concentrations, serum t3 concentration, and resting metabolic rate; Pelletier C; 2002
- "Hormone and Metabolic Research"; Endocrinology of adipose tissue; Fischer-Posovsky P; May 2007
- "Neuroscience"; Arachidonic acid: toxic and trophic effects on cultured hippocampal neurons; Okuda S; December 1994
- "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism"; The Effects of Weight Loss and Gastric Banding on the Innate and Adaptive Immune System in Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes; Viardot A; 2010
- "American Journal of Epidemiology"; Value of the sagittal abdominal diameter in coronary heart disease risk assessment: cohort study in a large, multiethnic population; Iribarren C; October 2006. "Arch Intern Med"; Waist circumference and all-cause mortality in a large us cohort; Jacobs E; 2010
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