Find out the ‘Foods That Cause Visceral Fat’ Here, we’ve identified the worst foods for weight gain that can directly lead to visceral fat, the hazardous fat that is buried deep inside your abdomen and wraps around your important organs.
Why? Visceral fat is harmful and everyone is at risk for it, but it can often be avoided by adopting a healthy lifestyle and avoiding some important foods. It has been connected to some malignancies, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases.
According to Dr. William Li, best-selling author of the soon-to-be-released Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer, “everyone has some visceral fat.” “It typically comprises 10% of the good fat that everyone generally carries. Various functions are performed by fat in the body.
It serves as a cushion for your internal organs, releases hormones that regulate your hunger and other mental processes, stores the energy from your diet, and may also act as a space heater when it needs to produce heat. Thus, fat in and of itself, particularly visceral fat, is not harmful. However, too much of it can be problematic.”
Adding, Dr. Li “Although some uncommon hereditary diseases can contribute to the creation of excess fat, the majority of the extra energy stored inside the body is what leads to the accumulation of visceral fat. These include overeating (caloric excess), physical inactivity (insufficient calories expended), and alteration of your gut microbiota (which helps to regulate your metabolism and the accumulation of body fat).”
Since the diet is a major factor in the buildup of visceral fat. spoke with specialists who listed the 11 Foods That Cause Visceral Fat.
Foods That Cause Visceral Fat
1. Sweetened Breakfast Cereals
Board-certified in internal medicine, lifestyle medicine, and obesity medicine, Megan Mescher-Cox, DO, works for Dignity Health. Most morning cereals with added sugar are made of refined grains, according to St. John’s Hospital. Due to the removal of the fiber during processing, they also contain relatively little dietary fiber.
“Having this high glycemic food in the morning can be detrimental to your health in two ways: first, it adds empty calories with no nutritious value, and second, it raises insulin levels, which can make you feel lethargic and short on energy for two hours after eating.
The result of this lack of energy is less activity and frequently a desire to grab for another quick, high-calorie food to give oneself an energy boost. Peaks and valleys in a person’s blood sugar (and insulin) levels cause a roller coaster effect that causes them to consume more calories and exercise less, which is the ideal recipe for the development of visceral fat “According to Dr. Cox.
2. Palm Oil
“[Palm oil is] particularly high in saturated fat, which is known to generate greater visceral fat, especially when comparing persons ingesting saturated fats to those consuming polyunsaturated fats,” claims Dr. Cox.
In a 2014 study, individuals who consumed muffins made with palm oil, which is high in saturated fats, accumulated more fat overall, particularly in their livers and abdomens, compared to participants who consumed muffins made with sunflower oil, which is high in polyunsaturated fats.
Dr. Cox continues, “These findings are particularly true when a person is also consuming more calories than the body requires, which is typical of the American diet.”
3. Frozen Coffee Drinks
Board-certified family physician Dr. Tomi Mitchell of Holistic Wellness Strategies states, “Despite the fact that frozen coffee drinks are irresistible, excessive consumption can have terrible health effects. Frozen coffee drinks can quickly raise blood sugar levels as a result of their high sugar content, which can have both immediate and long-term health effects.
Additionally, the calories in these drinks tend to be excessive, which can lead to a rise in visceral fat—a type of internal fat that is stored around the organs—and a number of harmful medical disorders like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Therefore, while they may indulge occasionally, frozen coffee drinks shouldn’t become a regular habit.”
4. Drinks with Heavy Creams and Added Sugars
Dr. Cox explains, “Numerous prepared beverages with heavy creams and sugars have high levels of refined sugar and saturated fats, which is a formula for the formation of visceral fat. Many of these drinks contain more sugar than is advised for an entire day and occasionally more calories than an average dinner. Additionally, extra calories will be turned into body fat that is stored.”
Choose herbal, black, or green teas as an alternative. Dr. Cox continues, “These teas provide health benefits due to their high antioxidant levels (plus they contain no calories, sugar, or saturated fat).
5. Cookies, Cakes, Pastries
Dr. Cox clarifies, “Cookies and pastries include refined sugar and empty calories, which are calories with little to no nutritious value. This combination causes insulin resistance and excess weight, especially visceral fat. Excess calorie intake is the primary cause of visceral fat formation, and the majority of the foods that contribute to this are often rich in calories, refined grains, and occasionally saturated fats, with insufficient dietary fiber to help people feel full.”
Not all of the drawbacks of eating these sweets are related to visceral fat. “Pastries and cookies also often come with a hefty dose of either saturated fat (from butter) or trans fats from margarine or other solid, shelf-stable fat, which are known to raise cholesterol (and LDL cholesterol) levels,” says Dana Ellis Hunnes, Ph.D., MPH, RD, a senior dietitian at UCLA medical center, assistant professor at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, and author of Recipe for Survival with Cambridge University Press.
6. Processed and Red Meat
Known as a pioneer in functional medicine, Dr. Stacie J. Stephenson is the best-selling author of Vibrant: A Groundbreaking Program to Get Energized, Own Your Health, and Glow “Numerous studies have linked visceral fat to processed meats like bacon, sausage, ham, and deli meats as well as red meats like beef, particularly high-fat cuts like ribeye.
A 2020 study found that eating more meat, in general, was linked to having more visceral fat, especially in women over 45. Vegetarian protein sources like legumes and protein sources with healthy fats like fish are preferable options.”
7. Alcohol
According to Dr. Mitchell, “A lot of people enjoy drinking alcohol, especially when they are out in public. But it’s vital to keep in mind that alcohol does have certain negative effects on health. In particular, it may contribute to the buildup of visceral fat, which has been linked to a number of chronic illnesses, including Type II diabetes and cardiac issues.
Consider sticking to lighter beverages with lesser alcohol content and limiting your daily intake to keep your drinking safe and healthy. If you find yourself reaching for a drink at social gatherings, you might also think about incorporating healthier options like flavored seltzer water or fresh fruit juices.”
8. Cheeseburgers and Other Fast Foods
As stated by Dr. Cox, “The high calories, saturated fat, and inflammatory properties of red meat and cheese will increase visceral fat production, and this is frequently combined with refined white bread that serves as the bun. Cheeseburgers also contain a number of other foods that contribute to visceral fat formation. Spreads like mayonnaise or other condiments increase the number of harmful fats in the dish.”
9. Doughnuts
Doctor Stephenson claims that “The combination of refined sugar and refined fat leads to visceral fat, and doughnuts are full of both without any beneficial nutrients like fiber or antioxidants. In addition, research on overweight adolescents revealed that a higher diet of fat and fried meals was linked to fat accumulation around the liver, whereas a higher intake of added sugar was linked to increased visceral fat in the abdomen. Both studies were conducted in 2020.
All those things are true of doughnuts. Consider having some oats for breakfast instead.”
10. Fried Potatoes (Chips and Fries)
Dr. Stephenson claims that fried potatoes, whether they are consumed as French fries or potato chips, are the next culprit for generating visceral fat. “Because they have a high glycemic index, potatoes may raise blood sugar levels.
When you deep-fry food, you add trans fats, which are frequently used in frying, as well as cancer-causing acrylamides, which occur when any food high in carbohydrates is heated to extremely high temperatures, as deep-frying does. Fried food and fast food were shown to be strongly correlated with visceral fat in a large twin study that examined dietary patterns linked to visceral fat. Both categories apply to french fries.”
11. Soda
Dr. Stephenson claims that soda, both the conventional kind sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and the diet variety sweetened with artificial sweeteners, is the single worst “food” contributing to excess visceral fat.
“The leading added sugar source in the American diet, sugar-sweetened beverages have been associated in numerous studies to visceral belly obesity as well as an elevated risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
One study examined the effects of routine soda use on fat deposition in healthy persons and found a strong correlation between sugar-sweetened beverages and increased visceral fat deposition in the abdominal area “Dr. Stephenson adds.
Not only should you avoid sugar-sweetened soda, but diet soda has also been related to belly obesity.
According to Dr. Stephenson, “While some older studies don’t show that diet soda increases visceral fat, a 2021 study showed that adults 65 and over who drank more diet soda did have increased abdominal obesity. The association was what the study called a striking dose-response relationship,’ meaning that the more diet soda the subjects of the study drank, the greater their abdominal obesity.
Dr. Stephenson concludes by advising that the best thing you can do for your health is to stop drinking beverages that are sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners.
