belly fat Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Burn Fat While You Sleep

The AHA! Team — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 05:21:47 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – If you’re having trouble sleeping, chances are you’re also living with a broken metabolism. But repairing your ability to sleep soundly through the night can help you melt away unwanted pounds – without lifting a finger. In a study published in the Journal of Lipid Research, researchers from Penn State University linked sleep-wake cycles to your native ability to burn fat while you rest. Fifteen participants – all healthy men in their 20s – started the study by sleeping for 10 hours a night in their own homes. Then they spent 10 nights at Penn State’s clinical research center. While there, they were fed carb-heavy meals – and slept no more than five hours for four consecutive nights. During this stage, the participants reported feeling sluggish and less satisfied with the meals they ate. Unsurprisingly, they also gained weight. The researchers took blood samples from the participants and found that their insulin levels rose as sleep restrictions worsened. But when the participants were able to return to a 10-hour sleep schedule, they were able to return to their normal body weight.1 This study highlights just how connected your sleep schedule is to your fat-burning potential. But the effects of a poor night’s sleep go beyond just physiological. Putting off sleep can also encourage behaviors that lead to further weight gain. Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when people get less sleep, they’re more likely to take a trip to the kitchen for a late-night snack. When this happens, your body releases cortisol – a stress hormone that encourages your body to conserve as much energy as it can. In other words, instead of burning fat the way it should – you’re just sitting on unused energy. This is the perfect storm for unwanted weight gain.2 If you’re experiencing random hunger episodes in the middle of the night, I don’t blame you… Because the modern world has set us all up for failure. How The Modern World Keeps You Awake The idea of a midnight snack is only something that could happen in modern times. For the vast majority of human history, eating when the sun went down was almost unheard of. Picture yourself living among our hunter-gatherer ancestors. There are no streetlights or sprawling metropolises brightening the night sky. There are no screens demanding constant attention. And the campfire you share with your community does little more than light up your immediate surroundings. In those times, if you wanted to eat, you had to either track down a wild animal yourself or find something edible close to your settlement. During the blackened hours of the night, this is almost impossible. That’s why hunting, gathering, and every other step in food preparation were done during the day – when you could see your surroundings and what you were doing. Of course, our ancestors were not only preparing food, they were trying to avoid becoming food for something else. In short, humans evolved to eat during the day. And in today’s world of near-constant illumination, we are fighting against our own biology. Unwanted weight gain is just one of many consequences. Sleep problems are also getting worse. According to the National Institutes of Health, between 50 and 70 million Americans have sleep disorders. That’s one out of every three adults.3 Fortunately, you can begin to solve both problems by turning to nature. Here are some tips I share with my patients to help them repair their native metabolism – so they can burn fat while they sleep. 3 Ways To Burn Fat While You Sleep 1. Limit artificial light. The screens you stare at all day – your smartphone, your computer, your television, and almost every other electronic device emits blue light. Studies show this type of light interferes with your body’s natural ability to produce melatonin – the “shut-eye” chemical that helps you sleep.Eliminating screens from your life entirely is almost impossible. But there are ways to adapt so that you can keep your exposure to a healthy minimum.Start by keeping your bedroom as dark as possible during the night. Darkness encourages melatonin production. Don’t turn on the TV past a certain time. If you enjoy reading before bedtime, opt for a traditional book instead of a tablet. If you can’t get your bedroom completely dark, try a sleep mask. 2. Use high-quality melatonin supplements. Melatonin does more than make you sleepy. Recently, it’s been discovered that “the sleepy chemical” acts as a mitochondrial decoupler. This means that the melatonin being absorbed into your system has a protective effect on the “batteries” in your body’s cells, and encourages them to be more active.It helps your body remove damaged mitochondria, as well as help transport protons across the inner membranes in your cells…which burns calories.4 Melatonin supplements can be found in almost any drug store or convenience store, but not all of them will absorb into your system properly. That’s why I recommend shopping for sprays, drops, or sublingual tablets. They’re easier to absorb and get to work faster. 3. Try intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting doesn’t mean starving yourself. It means reorienting your body to process food the way human beings evolved to.Our hunter-gatherer ancestors often fasted out of necessity, routinely fluctuating between feasting and famine depending on how successful a hunt was – or the resources they had access to. Fasting is a primal tradition – and it helped our ancestors develop the fat-burning potential they needed to remain fit.It encourages your body to process food during the waking hours of the day and allows you to rest at night when you’re supposed to. I recommend starting with a simple, safe fasting schedule: Start your day with a 10 a.m. breakfast Take lunch in the afternoon as you normally would Finish your dinner by 6 p.m. Eat no additional food from 6 p.m. until 10 a.m. the following morning To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: Ness K, et al. “Four nights of sleep restriction suppress the postprandial lipemic response and decrease satiety.” J of Lipid Res. 2019;60(11):1935-1945. Nedeltcheva, A. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2009. “Sleep Health | NHLBI, NIH.” Www.nhlbi.nih.gov, www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/sleep-health#:~:text=About%2050%20to%2070%20million. Demine S, et al. “Mitochondrial uncoupling: A key controller of biological processes in physiology and disease.” Cells. 2019;8(8):795 To read the original article click here.

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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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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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Does Coconut Oil Help with Abdominal Fat?

AHA Publisher — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 07:00:19 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – What does a review of the evidence on the effects of coconut oil on weight loss and belly fat find? I begin my video Flashback Friday: Coconut Oil and Abdominal Fat with a popular infographic that surprised me by showing that, evidently, there is promising evidence that coconut oil could help with obesity. Well, if you fill the stomachs of rats with purified medium-chain fatty acids, one component of coconut oil, they end up eating less food, as you can see at 0:25 in my video, but you don’t know if there’s any relevance to humans until you put it to the test. Researchers compared breakfasts with the same amount of dairy fat, coconut oil fat, or tallow (beef fat), and there was no effect on hunger, fullness, satisfaction, or how much the subjects then went on to eat at lunchtime. Where did this idea that coconut fat is somehow different from other kinds of fat come from? Six years ago, an open-label pilot study was published. Researchers asked 20 men and women to eat two tablespoons of coconut oil each day for a month. As you can see at 1:03 in my video, the men appeared to lose about an inch off their waist. But, since it was an open-label study, the participants knew what they were eating. There wasn’t a placebo control. In fact, there was no control group at all. Because of that, we can’t know if the effects would have happened anyway, even without the coconut oil. Indeed, there is a well-recognized effect in dietary studies where just being in a dietary study under observation tends to lead to a reduction in caloric intake, because the subjects know they’re going to be weighed and observed. We finally got a controlled study of coconut oil and waistlines in men and women in 2015. About a hundred men and women were given about a tablespoon of coconut oil a day for three months and, as you can see at 1:51 in my video, lost nearly an inch off their waist compared to control by the end of the study. What did the control group get instead of coconut oil? Nothing. There was no placebo, so the researchers compared doing something with doing nothing. When one does that, however, there is often a placebo effect regardless of the true efficacy of the treatment. What’s more, the researchers suggested that the coconut oil group may want to take their daily dose with fruit. If the subjects did end up eating more fruit, that in itself may have helped with weight reduction because, despite its sugar content, fruit consumption tends to be associated with “anti-obesity effects.” What we need to determine if coconut oil has some type of special effect is to give people a spoonful of coconut oil versus a spoonful of another oil and see if there’s any difference. When researchers did just that—giving subjects either two daily tablespoons of coconut oil or soybean oil—there was no significant difference in waistlines. But, the coconut oil group got a significant increase in insulin resistance, which is what eventually causes type 2 diabetes, and this was despite receiving instruction to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and cut down on sugars and animal fat, and engaging in an exercise program of walking 50 minutes a day, four days a week. The only other placebo-controlled study of coconut oil and waistlines was published in 2017, and, as you can see at 3:18 in my video, the researchers found no significant changes in weight, waist or hip measurements, total fat, belly fat, or butt fat. No benefit to coconut oil for obesity over placebo has been found in any study to date. How then can coconut oil proponents get away with saying otherwise? They like to talk about studies such as the one showing that Pacific Islanders who ate more traditional coconut-based diets are slimmer than those eating more modern diets with fewer coconut products. Okay, but what were those on the “modern dietary pattern” eating instead? “The modern dietary pattern [was] primarily characterized by high intake of sausage and eggs, and processed foods…” KEY TAKEAWAYS When researchers compared morning meals with equal amounts of fat from dairy, coconut oil, and tallow (beef), no effect was found on hunger, fullness, satisfaction, or the amount then eaten during lunch. The idea that coconut fat is unique to other fats appears to have come from an open-label study without a placebo or any control group at all, and, since the subjects knew what they were eating, we cannot know what effect, if any, the coconut fat may have. A controlled study of coconut oil and waistlines was also unsatisfying in that the control group didn’t get a placebo, so the researchers compared doing something to doing nothing, which can result in a placebo effect. Additionally, those in the coconut oil group were told they may take their daily dose with fruit, and increased fruit intake may itself help with weight reduction. Finally, a study was conducted in which subjects were given two daily tablespoons of either coconut oil or soybean oil, and no significant difference in waistlines was found. The coconut oil group did, however, get significant increases in insulin resistance, which may cause type 2 diabetes. To date, no benefit to coconut oil for obesity over placebo has been found. This article has been modified. To read the original article click here.

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Changes in the Immune System Explain Why Belly Fat Is Bad for Thinking

AHA Publisher — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 08:00:10 +0000

Iowa State University via EurekAlert – Iowa State researchers have found for the first time that less muscle and more body fat may affect how flexible our thinking gets as we become older, and changes in parts of the immune system could be responsible. These findings could lead to new treatments that help maintain mental flexibility in aging adults with obesity, sedentary lifestyles, or muscle loss that naturally happens with aging. The study, led by Auriel Willette, assistant professor of food science and human nutrition, and Brandon Klinedinst, a PhD student in neuroscience, looked at data from more than 4,000 middle-aged to older UK Biobank participants, both men and women. The researchers examined direct measurements of lean muscle mass, abdominal fat, and subcutaneous fat, and how they were related to changes in fluid intelligence over six years. Willette and Klinedinst discovered people mostly in their 40s and 50s who had higher amounts of fat in their mid-section had worse fluid intelligence as they got older. Greater muscle mass, by contrast, appeared to be a protective factor. These relationships stayed the same even after taking into account chronological age, level of education, and socioeconomic status. “Chronological age doesn’t seem to be a factor in fluid intelligence decreasing over time,” Willette said. “It appears to be biological age, which here is the amount of fat and muscle.” Generally, people begin to gain fat and lose lean muscle once they hit middle age, a trend that continues as they get older. To overcome this, implementing exercise routines to maintain lean muscle becomes more important. Klinedinst said exercising, especially resistance training, is essential for middle-aged women, who naturally tend to have less muscle mass than men. The study also looked at whether or not changes in immune system activity could explain links between fat or muscle and fluid intelligence. Previous studies have shown that people with a higher body mass index (BMI) have more immune system activity in their blood, which activates the immune system in the brain and causes problems with cognition. BMI only takes into account total body mass, so it has not been clear whether fat, muscle, or both jump-start the immune system. In this study, in women, the entire link between more abdominal fat and worse fluid intelligence was explained by changes in two types of white blood cells: lymphocytes and eosinophils. In men, a completely different type of white blood cell, basophils, explained roughly half of the fat and fluid intelligence link. While muscle mass was protective, the immune system did not seem to play a role. While the study found correlations between body fat and decreased fluid intelligence, it is unknown at this time if it could increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. “Further studies would be needed to see if people with less muscle mass and more fat mass are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, and what the role of the immune system is,” Klinedinst said. Starting a New Year’s resolution now to work out more and eat healthier may be a good idea, not only for your overall health, but to maintain healthy brain function. “If you eat alright and do at least brisk walking some of the time, it might help you with mentally staying quick on your feet,” Willette said. To read the original article click here.

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