What Is Visceral Fat?

To begin with, you should remind yourself that nature has not thought out anything extra in the body. Fat is an important organ that produces hormonally active substances, such as resistin, adiponectin, leptin, without which a person cannot live and, moreover, reproduce. However, the topic How to remove visceral fat in search engines is ahead of the query How to remove subcutaneous fat . It's time to learn more about this problem.

What is visceral fat ?

Fat , which we all have in one or another amount, differs in appearance and functions. For a detailed analysis of the impact of fat on the body, scientists divided it into 5 main categories, each of which has its own characteristics: white, brown, beige, subcutaneous and visceral.

• White fat is the one that we imagine first of all when we think of fat . It consists mainly of white adipocytes - the cells that determine its name. Main functions: storage of energy in case of hunger and formation of hormones.

• Brown fat acts opposite to white: it does not accumulate energy, but helps to spend it. By increasing the amount of brown fat , you can speed up metabolism, increase energy expenditure and maintain a normal body weight. By structure, this fat differs from white in a large number of blood vessels and iron content, which provides a characteristic color.

• Beige fat is a transitional form from which both white and brown fat can be formed under the influence of the external environment .

• Subcutaneous fat makes up 90% of body fat and is located directly under the skin. This fat is recognized as a hormonally active tissue that can protect the body from hypothermia, store energy in case of malnutrition, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and exhibit shock-absorbing properties.

• Visceral fat is white fat that accumulates in the abdominal cavity around internal organs: liver, pancreas, heart, intestines. It is about 1/10 of all fat in the body.

Where does visceral fat come from?

Visceral fat accumulates in a very obvious scenario: when we consume a lot of calories and do not move much. The location of fat accumulations is also influenced by a genetic predisposition. Someone gets full in the hips, shoulders and chest, and someone has a growing stomach.

Usually, men are more prone to this, but women also face this problem. In addition, scientific facts confirm that the distribution of adipose tissue is affected by the process of natural aging. Usually, after menopause, muscle mass decreases and the general ability to accumulate fat increases , particularly in the abdominal area. Many women after 40-50 are wondering how to get rid of visceral fat on the stomach, even if they have not gained much weight.

What is the danger of visceral fat

Doctors and nutritionists claim that visceral fat is the most dangerous for health. The cellular structure of this type of fat does not allow for unlimited accumulation, as a result of which fat enters the blood - in the form of cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoproteins, which leads to problems with the cardiovascular system, obesity of internal organs and increased pressure.

That is, the accumulation of visceral fat is a sign of the so-called metabolic syndrome - a bouquet of health problems that include insulin resistance, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which, in turn, increase the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.

The researchers also found that visceral fat secretes retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), which increases insulin resistance, leading to glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes. In addition, when determining the medical history, doctors associate excess visceral fat with the development of asthma, cancer, pancreatitis, gout, osteoarthritis, and dementia.

How to determine excess visceral fat

Excess visceral fat is easily determined by measuring the waist circumference. The following standards serve as a guide: 82 cm for women and 94 cm for men. If the centimeter tape shows a higher number, take it as a signal to change.

Another method that will help to estimate the amount of visceral fat in the body is to determine the ratio of waist to hips. Measure your waist and hips at the widest area, then divide your waist by your hips. If it turns out to be more than 0.85 (for women) and 1.0 (for men), then the norm of visceral fat is exceeded - it's time to take measures.