abdominal fat Archives - Amazing Health Advances

4 Signs Your Belly Fat is Causing Excessive Inflammation

The AHA! Team — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 06:02:37 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, isn’t just an energy reserve. It’s metabolically active, releasing inflammatory molecules like cytokines that can spread inflammation throughout your body. When it comes to inflammation, many of us think of joint pain or sore muscles. But did you know that one of the most common sources of chronic inflammation may be hiding in plain sight? It’s belly fat. This type of fat—particularly the kind that surrounds your organs—isn’t just extra weight; it’s highly inflammatory and can significantly impact your health. Belly Fat: Here’s Why It’s a Concern Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, isn’t just an energy reserve. It’s metabolically active, releasing inflammatory molecules like cytokines that can spread inflammation throughout your body. Research shows that belly fat contributes to systemic inflammation, increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and even some cancers. Research Highlights: Studies in The Journal of Clinical Investigation and Harvard Health confirm that high levels of visceral fat lead to metabolic disruptions and raise inflammatory markers, like C-reactive protein (CRP). This silent inflammation often goes unnoticed but may be at the root of various health issues. Do You Have Inflammatory Belly Fat? Key Signs to Look For If you’re wondering whether inflammation could be affecting you, here are some common indicators: Waist Size: Men with waists over 40 inches and women over 35 inches are more likely to have high visceral fat levels. Low Energy and Fatigue: Chronic inflammation can drain your energy reserves, leaving you feeling sluggish and tired. Digestive Issues: Bloating, constipation, and discomfort are often tied to abdominal inflammation. Joint Pain: Even if you aren’t overweight, visceral fat’s inflammatory nature can aggravate joint pain or stiffness. Testing for Inflammation: The CRP Test If you’re concerned about inflammation, a simple blood test called the CRP (C-reactive protein) test can help. High CRP levels are a key marker of inflammation and can signal an increased risk of inflammatory diseases linked to belly fat. Consider asking your healthcare provider about this test to better understand your inflammation levels. Natural Ways to Combat Inflammatory Belly Fat The good news is that there are effective, natural methods to help reduce both belly fat and inflammation. Here’s what I recommend: Adopt a Low-Carb or Ketogenic Diet: Research supports low-carb and ketogenic diets such as the Keto Zone diet as effective strategies for reducing visceral fat. When you enter ketosis, your body burns fat for fuel, particularly targeting stubborn belly fat. This approach can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation at the same time. Incorporate Anti-Inflammatory Foods and Herbs: Nature offers powerful inflammation fighters. For example, turmeric contains curcumin, which is known for its anti-inflammatory effects, and ginger has gingerols that help soothe inflammation. Including these in your diet can help manage inflammation naturally. Eat Antioxidant-Rich Foods: Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which are a source of inflammation. Foods like berries, leafy greens, and other colorful vegetables provide a range of antioxidants to combat oxidative stress and protect your cells. Maintain a Healthy pH Balance: While our bodies work to regulate pH naturally, a diet rich in alkaline-forming foods—such as vegetables, fruits, and certain supplements—can help support this balance, which may reduce inflammation and promote overall wellness. Exercise Regularly: Staying active is essential for reducing visceral fat. Aerobic activities, such as walking, running, or cycling, are particularly effective at targeting belly fat. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days to help manage both weight and inflammation. Prioritize Sleep and Manage Stress: Poor sleep and chronic stress increase cortisol, a hormone linked to belly fat storage. Practices like mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation techniques can reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and lower inflammation. Final Thoughts from Dr. Colbert Belly fat is more than a cosmetic issue—it’s a source of inflammation that can harm your health. If you recognize any of the signs of inflammatory belly fat or have elevated CRP levels, consider adopting a lifestyle that supports reduced inflammation. By focusing on an anti-inflammatory diet, regular physical activity, and stress management, you can help protect your body from the damaging effects of inflammation and support long-term wellness. To read the original article click here.

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Excessive Abdominal Fat Linked to “Shocking” Problem for the Brain

The AHA! Team — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 06:11:46 +0000

Sara Middleton via NaturalHealth365 – Obesity is not an unusual phenomenon in the Western world. For example, in the United States, you’re actually MORE likely to meet a person carrying around extra body fat than not, with about 75% of adult males, 60% of adult females, and 30% of children falling into the overweight or obese category. These figures are shocking, to say the least. But perhaps more alarming is recent research revealing how excess body fat impacts the brain. Studies have found that higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with changes in brain structure and function across all ages. In children, higher BMI correlates with reduced working memory performance and smaller gray matter volume in areas related to memory and cognitive control. Similarly, research on adults shows that higher BMI and waist-to-hip ratios are linked to overall gray matter atrophy, with specific reductions in regions tied to cognition and reward. In short, carrying extra body fat doesn’t just affect physical health – it may be shrinking the brain. Research reveals the shocking association between obesity and brain health The researchers of a study published in Neurology analyzed brain MRI imaging of 9,652 people, 19% of whom were obese or overweight (they measured body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and total fat mass to help determine this). It turns out that having a high BMI plus a high waist-to-hip ratio (indicating a greater amount of abdominal fat) makes you more likely to have lower gray matter volume in your brain. If you’re wondering, gray matter contains a majority of the nerve cells in your brain and is important for everything from self-control to physical movement. Loss of gray matter and overall brain shrinkage are associated with things like dementia and other cognitive health problems. Incredibly, these changes remained even after the researchers adjusted for other factors known to affect brain mass, including age, physical activity levels, high blood pressure, and smoking. They conclude: “The combination of heightened BMI and WHR may be an important risk factor for gray matter atrophy.” While the researchers acknowledge that they have a bit of the “chicken or the egg” conundrum – ‘Did the brain shrinkage lead to obesity or did obesity lead to brain shrinkage?’ – we certainly think it’s reasonable to assume the latter, considering that we know so many other ways being overweight can impact brain health and mental function. The connection between BMI, brain structure, and cognitive performance in children In even more recent research, scientists explored the effect of obesity on children’s brain health. They found that higher BMI was associated with poorer working memory performance and smaller gray matter volumes in key brain areas, including the left superior frontal gyrus, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and medial orbital frontal cortex. Children with higher BMI also showed weaker activation in the caudate, amygdala, and other brain regions involved in memory tasks. Specifically, the dysfunction in the caudate appeared to mediate the relationship between higher BMI and lower working memory accuracy. This study on children supports the growing body of evidence that higher body fat not only affects physical health but also impacts brain function. Interestingly, these brain changes were linked to poorer memory abilities, suggesting that obesity in childhood may have long-term implications for cognitive development. Other surprising ways abdominal fat impacts your brain function Having excess body fat is linked with an increased risk for serious health conditions, including diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and heart disease. But it also can hurt your head, too! For instance, being overweight has been shown to: Lead to a “tolerance” to sugary and fried foods (much like people who use drugs become tolerant to their drug of choice and need more and more of it to get the same high-inducing effects), which is believed to be a major driver of food addiction Decrease the size of a part of the brain called the orbitofrontal cortex (necessary for controlling impulsivity), which can lead to uncontrolled eating Impair memory, likely due to hormones released by fat cells that trigger inflammation and damage tissues The takeaway here is simple and direct: maintaining lean body weight is good for you from head to toe. So, commit to a balanced whole foods (organic) diet, stay physically active – regularly, and do everything you can to reduce the level of (chronic) stress you experience. Remember, you deserve to be happy, healthy, and energetic – all the days of your life. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov Neurology.org Sciencedaily.com Livescience.com To read the original article click here.

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Melt Away Stubborn Belly Fat with this Peptide

The AHA! Team — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 09:43:47 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – For decades, you’ve been given bad advice about how to get rid of stubborn belly fat… Most fitness “gurus” will tell you to do more cardio so you can enter your “fat-burning zone.” But that’s the last place you want to be… Burning fat while exercising signals to your body that it needs fat. Then it trains your body to make more fat. I’ve found a better way to help my patients eliminate abdominal fat and keep it off. I’m talking about safe and effective peptide therapy. Peptides will play an essential role in the future of regenerative medicine. Peptides are made up of short-chain amino acids. You can think of them as small pieces of protein that send messages to a cell, telling it what to do. At the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine, we use a unique peptide known as AOD 9604 to help patients eliminate excess abdominal fat. AOD 9604 is a tiny fragment of human growth hormone (HGH). It stimulates the pituitary gland to speed up the metabolism without increasing appetite. But the benefits don’t stop there. AOD 9604 can also… Activate lipolysis, the process your body uses to break down fat Prevent the creation of new fat cells, a process known as lipogenesis Trigger the release of fat from fat cells Stop non-fatty foods from turning into body fat The research backs up what I’m starting to see in my practice. Australian researchers tested AOD 9604 on 300 obese individuals. Each patient received the peptide daily for three months. The results stunned even the scientists… Compared to patients who got a placebo, the peptide participants lost three times as much weight.1 And their weight loss remained steady and stable throughout the study trial. This indicates that continued treatment would result in even more significant weight loss. A second study was done on mice genetically prone to obesity. This research found that AOD 9604 may indirectly activate apoptosis – or cell death – in white fat cells.2 As I mentioned, white fat is the flabby, bad-for-you fat that holds onto excess calories as lipids. If the only thing AOD-9064 did was to help burn fat, that would be enough. But there’s more… Apart from its fat-burning properties, this peptide can also: Relieve joint pain3 Lower your heart attack risk4 Reduce diabetes risk5 Improve bone mineral density6 Reduce diabetes and regulate blood sugar7 Increase muscle mass8 It’s important to emphasize that the amino acids found within AOD 9604 are bioidentical to those found within human growth hormone. This means there are no side effects when taken properly. Use PACE to burn belly fat. All weight- and fat-loss therapies work much better when combined with the right workout. Earlier, I told you that cardio tells your body to store fat. On the other hand, my PACE principle tells your body to dump fat. PACE stands for “Progressively Accelerating Cardiopulmonary Exertion,” It uses brief but vigorous daily routines of increasing intensity. A study at Laval University in Canada compared long- and short-duration exercise programs. Researchers found those who did a short-burst workout lost the most fat.9 In fact, the short-burst group dropped 9 times more fat than the endurance group for every calorie melted! Everyone can do a PACE workout. It doesn’t matter what your age or physical condition is. You can choose any exercise that makes you stop and pant for breath. It could be as simple as going up and down the stairs, biking, walking or swimming. The important thing is to increase your challenge gradually over time. Here’s a simple walking workout to get you started… First, walk as far as you can for each of the three sets. Walk the first set a bit faster than you normally do. Then rest until your heart rate returns to normal. Next, walk as far as you can again for three sets – but go a bit faster. Rest again between sets, but make the rest period a tiny bit shorter. Then walk your sets again. But this time, go even faster and really pump your arms. Then push yourself to do one more set. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: 1. Zieba R, et al. “Obesity: a review of currently used antiobesity drugs and new compounds in clinical development.” Postepy Hig Med Dosw (Online). 2007 Oct 19;61:612-26. 2. Heffernan M, et al. “The effects of human GH and its lipolytic fragment (AOD 9604) on lipid metabolism following chronic treatment in obese mice ANDβ 3-ar knock-out mice.” Endocrinology. 2001;142(12)–5189. 3. D. R. Kwon and G. Y. Park, “Effect of Intra-articular Injection of AOD 9604 with or without Hyaluronic Acid in Rabbit Osteoarthritis Model,” Ann. Clin. Lab. Sci., vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 426–432, Jul. 2015. [PubMed] 4. M. D. Jensen, “Potential role of new therapies in modifying cardiovascular risk in overweight patients with metabolic risk factors,” Obes. Silver Spring Md, vol. 14 Suppl 3, pp. 143S-149S, Jun. 2006. [Wiley Online Library] 5. Stier H, et al. “Safety and Tolerability of the Hexadecapeptide AOD 9604 in Humans.” J Endocrinol Metabolism. 2013;3(1-2):7-15. 6. Biotech Peptides. “Peptides BPC157, AOD960 improve bone mineral density for osteoporosis.” 2021. https://biotechpeptides.com/2021/08/13/peptides-bpc157-aod960-improve-bone-mineral-density-for-osteoporosis/. Accessed on Feb 7, 2022. 7. Stier H, et al. “Safety and Tolerability of the hexadecapeptide AOD 9604 in humans.” J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013;3(1-2):7-15. 8. Stier H, et al. “Safety and Tolerability of the hexadecapeptide AOD 9604 in humans.” J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013;3(1-2):7-15. 9. Tremblay A, et al. “Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism.” Metabolism. 1994;43(7):814-818. To read the original article click here.

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Excessive Body Fat Can Increase the Risk of Dementia

AHA Publisher — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 07:00:04 +0000

University of South Australia via News-Medical – It’s the global epidemic that affects two in every five adults, but as obesity continues to expand waistlines worldwide, researchers at the University of South Australia are warning that harmful body fat can also increase the risk of dementia and stroke. Examining grey brain matter of about 28,000 people, the world first research showed that increased body fat incrementally leads to increased atrophy of grey matter in the brain and consequently higher risk of declining brain health. Grey matter is an essential part of the brain responsible for execution control, muscular and sensory activity as well as learning, attention, and memory. Obesity is a major issue worldwide, with numbers nearly tripling since 1975. Data from the World Health Organization shows that more than 1.9 billion adults are overweight, with 650 million being obese. More than 340 million children (aged 5-19) are overweight or obese, with 39 million children under the age of five also falling into this category. Lead researcher, UniSA’s Dr Anwar Mulugeta, says the findings add to the growing issues associated with being overweight or obese. “Obesity is a genetically complex condition characterized by the excessive body fat.” Dr Anwar Mulugeta, Lead Researcher, UniSA “Generally, the three obesity subtypes have a characteristic of higher body mass index, yet, each type varies in terms of body fat and visceral fat distribution, with a different risk of cardiometabolic diseases. “We found that people with higher levels of obesity especially those with metabolically unfavorable and neutral adiposity subtypes had much lower levels of grey brain matter, indicating that these people may have compromised brain function which needed further investigation. “However, we did not find conclusive evidence to link a specific obesity subtype with dementia or stroke. Instead, our study suggests the possible role of inflammation and metabolic abnormalities and how they can contribute to obesity and grey matter volume reduction.” The study used Mendelian randomization to examine the genetic data of up to 336,000 individual records in the UK Biobank, with self-reported information and linked hospital and death register records to connect dementia and stoke. It found that middle to elderly age groups (37-73) grey brain matter decreased by 0.3 per cent for every extra 1 kg/m2, which is equivalent of an extra 3 kg of weight for person of average height individuals, (173 cm) Senior investigator, Professor Elina Hyppönen, Director of UniSA’s Australian Centre for Precision Health based at SAHMRI, says maintaining a healthy weight is important for general public health. “It is increasingly appreciated that obesity is a complex condition, and that especially excess fat which is located around the internal organs have particularly harmful effects on health,” Professor Hyppönen says. “Here, we used the individuals’ genetic and metabolic profiles to confirm different types of obesity. In practice, our findings very much support the need to look at the type of obesity when assessing the type of likely health impact. “Even in a relatively normal weight individual, excess weight around the abdominal area may be a cause of concern.” “Commonly linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and chronic inflammation (a marker of dementia), obesity currently costs Australia’s economy about $8.6 billion dollars each year. “While the disease burden of obesity has increased over the past five decades, the complex nature of the disease means that not all obese individuals are metabolically unhealthy, which makes it difficult to pinpoint who is at risk of associated diseases, and who is not. “Certainly, being overweight generally increases your risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and low-grade inflammation, but understanding the level of risk is important to better direct supports. “In this study, we investigated the causal relationships of individuals within three metabolically different obesity types – unfavorable, neutral and favorable – to establish whether specific weight groups were more at risk than others.

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