Dr Zoe Williams discusses visceral fat on This Morning
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Visceral fat sits in the body’s midsection, out of sight, so individuals who appear outwardly lean can also be affected. Generally speaking, however, waist circumferences can hint at the probability of visceral fat sitting beneath the surface. Introducing certain foods into one’s diet offers good chances of reversing the condition. By turbo-boosting metabolism, one vegetable touted for its broad range of health benefits could blast the perilous stomach fat.
Many effective measures exist to reduce visceral fat storage, but healthy food intake is arguably one of the most important.
Fibrous foods are often highly beneficial for tummy weight loss because they act as a prebiotic.
This is because the body breaks down soluble fibre through fermentation, prompting the production of short-chain fatty acids, which can help reduce belly fat.
Some peppers, such as jalapenos, a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C and Folate, are excellent sources of dietary fibre.
READ MORE: Visceral fat: The 75p drink that can ‘speed up your metabolism’ to burn belly fat in weeks
The pepper contains the compound capsaicin, which has been found to increase the rate of fat burn and act as an appetite suppressor.
These biological processes are instrumental in weight loss.
In one paper published in the International Journal of Obesity, researchers studied the effects of the compounds on rats.
They found that the topical application of capsaicin “reduced caloric intake, body weight and abdominal fat in a higher proportion than the individual treatments”.
They added: “Topical capsaicin was the only treatment that reduced glucose intolerance and improved the oxidative profile.”
[Effects of topical capsaicin combined with moderate exercise on insulin resistance, body weight and oxidative stress in hypoestrogenic obese rats.]
Capsaicin, the phytochemical responsible for the spiciness in peppers, has long been recognised as a candidate in the treatment of obesity and related complications.
Health bodies state that the compound can speed up metabolism by roughly eight percent through a biological process known as thermogenesis.
This process works by increasing the body’s core temperature, which uses up brown fat or brown adipose tissue.
Some research has shown that thermogenesis can help convert brown fat to white fat, which accumulates around the thigh.
In order for this to happen, the compound works by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, thereby boosting metabolism and increasing heat production.
Jalapeños, which are small to medium-sized peppers, have lower concentrations of the compound than other hotter chilis, but their mild spice makes them easier to consume.
Poblanos peppers are large green peppers that also lack the heat of other peppers.
Bell peppers, however, do not contain any of the metabolism-boosting compounds, according to the American Chemical Society.
The Society’s official website explains: “The hotness of a pepper is measured by the Scoville heat scale, which is a series of “heat units” that range from zero to 16 million, depending on the capsaicin content of a pepper.
“Pure capsaicin tops the scale at 16 million heart units, and bell peppers ran at zero since they contain no capsaicin.”
Eating chilis alongside physical activity can help prompt the release of the protein interleukin-6, which breaks down fat in the body.
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