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Secrets for
a Flat Belly?
The secret to a flat belly: Headlines
abound claiming that specific foods, nutrients, supplements and
exercises somehow selectively melt away the beer bellies and
"muffin tops" that spill over our pants.
Waistline fat includes the pinchable fat deposited just under
the skin and "visceral fat" that nestles deep around
abdominal organs and seems most strongly related to risk of heart
disease, diabetes and cancer. Many fat-fighting claims lack research
support, but some offer reasonable strategies.
Some studies show that people
who eat more whole grains are more likely to have a healthy weight
and waistline than those with diets high in refined grains. Studies
also link eating patterns that include more refined grains (like
white bread) with greater yearly increases in weight and waist.
Replacing refined grains and sweets with whole grains could lead
to smaller surges in blood sugar and reduced insulin levels.
In theory, lower insulin levels could shift metabolic processes
to favor fat burning instead of fat storage, but there isn’t
research to support the claim. |
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Whole grains clearly bring health
benefits, but simply switching the type of carbohydrate without
decreasing calorie consumption may not lead to the loss of belly
fat headlines suggest. However, along with reduced calorie consumption,
favoring whole grains over refined grains may support a flatter
belly. Obese men and women who cut about 500 calories per day
lost an average of 10 pounds in a 12-week Penn State study. Those
who ate exclusively whole grains lost more than twice the abdominal
fat of those assigned to eat only refined grains.
With no change in diet, a Duke
University study of overweight adults illustrates the power of
exercise. Non-exercisers increased visceral fat by 9% in six
months. Those who walked about three hours or jogged two hours
a week held abdominal fat levels steady. Jogging about three
hours a week decreased both visceral and surface abdominal fat.
In this study, participants lost abdominal fat regardless of
exercise intensity, so an hour’s walk six days a week might
also produce this fat loss, though that was not tested here.
In another study participants reduced their daily calories by
400 and did either 30 minutes of vigorous or 60 minutes of moderate
activity three times weekly. After five months, people averaged
a 26-pound loss, including a 25 to 27 percent drop in visceral
fat; use of moderate versus vigorous exercise didn’t affect
results.
Studies also support belly-flattening benefits from strength
training (such as resistance training with weights or elastic
bands). In one study, overweight post-menopausal women decreased
their waist size by an average of one inch after four months
of resistance training. Other research shows that resistance
training can decrease both deep and surface abdominal fat. Spot
exercises like sit-ups and crunches are important to tighten
abdominal muscles, but they can’t selectively burn up abdominal
fat.
Are there extra tricks to help
banish belly fat? For most supplements, research is either too
limited, shows no effect or actually identifies dangers. Yet
catechin phytochemicals (such as EGCG) in green tea may increase
fat burning and decrease abdominal fat, at least when added to
decreased calorie consumption or increased activity. Studies
adding daily EGCG, found in 4 to 12 ounces of brewed green tea,
have shown drops of about three-quarters to one inch in waist
or about seven percent in abdominal fat in three months, yet
results are inconsistent. Products from drink mixes to vitamin
supplements may indicate they contain green tea or EGCG yet have
only a trace.
Conversely, consuming large amounts
of tea can lead to unhealthy amounts of caffeine that may over-stimulate
you or interact with medications. We need more research to clarify
exactly how much belly-flattening power this strategy can have.
Meanwhile, for most people, there’s no harm in adding a
cup or two of green tea per day, especially if you use it to
replace a high calorie, sugar-sweetened drink. |
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