Although you know it's unhealthy to be obese, you might not know that abdominal fat, or visceral fat, is more dangerous than fat around your hips or thighs. Visceral fat wraps around organs and secretes chemicals that damage blood vessels, decreasing blood flow and nutrients to organs. This in turn increases your risk for health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol. Evidence indicates that increasing your fiber intake might reduce belly fat.
Dietary Fiber
Although dietary fiber is mostly known for preventing or relieving constipation, it also plays a role in a number of functions in your body, including maintaining intestinal health and improving digestion. According to the Mayo Clinic, men should strive for 38 g of fiber daily, while women should shoot for 25 g. Fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds are good sources of dietary fiber.
Reduces Belly Fat
Increasing your intake of dietary fiber might reduce belly fat, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles. Scientists investigated the relationship between dietary fiber intake and visceral fat in Latino youth. They observed that participants increasing their fiber intake experienced decreases in visceral fat, whereas those decreasing their fiber intake experienced increases in visceral fat. The findings were reported in the August 2009 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Older Adults
Another study published in the October 2009 issue of "Journal of Nutrition" found similar results. Researchers at Tufts University studied the relationship between whole-grain intake and cereal fiber and abdominal fat in older adults. They discovered that subjects with higher intakes of cereal fiber had lower levels of abdominal fat compared with those with lower fiber intakes.
Considerations
Increasing your fiber intake can have a positive effect on your waistline, but keep in mind that adding too much fiber too quickly can result in bloating, gastrointestinal upset and gas. Therefore, slowly add fiber into your diet and also increase your water intake.
References
- Mayo Clinic; Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet; November 2009
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Inverse Relation Between Dietary Fiber Intake and Visceral Adiposity in Overweight Latino Youth; J.N. Davis, et al.; November 2009
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Whole-Grain Intake and Cereal Fiber are Associated With Lower Abdominal Adiposity in Older Adults; N.M. McKeown, et al.; October 2009
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