However you put it, extra belly fat is a pain, and not just because it makes your clothes tight in the wrong places. People with excess abdominal fat are statistically at greater risk for heart disease, hypertension, insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, breast cancer and colorectal cancer.
Making trouble
The problem is that belly fat runs deeper than that extra layer of fat just below the skin. It is also deposited deep in the abdomen. Along with cozying up to your organs, visceral fat cells release hormones, fatty acids and other substances that can wreak havok with your body.
Among these substances are cytokines, immune system chemicals that some call "messengers of inflammation." (Natural Health Secrets). Cytokines are meant to fight against certain bacteria or pathogens, but visceral fat cells release them in the absence of any threat, keeping the body on constant alert.
The potential results of this state of inflammation are high blood pressure, clotting problems and insulin resistance.
Deep-belly fat also releases fatty acids to the liver, where they interfere with the production of blood lipids. The result can be higher cholesterol, lower good cholesterol and, again, insulin sensitivity, a condition that is often a precursor to diabetes.
On top of all this, inter-abdominal fat cells release estrogen, which can encourage the body to store fat and interfere with fertility both in men and women. Too much estrogen has also been linked to everything from osteoporosis to thyroid dysfunction and from memory loss to prostate and uterine cancer.
Hard to stomach
It seems like there is no end to the potential ravages of belly fat. So if you've got a large waistline, is it time to panic?
No, because stress may trigger visceral fat to release cortisol, which just causes more belly fat!
The good news, though, is that your belly-fat woes don't need to be the neverending story. Intra-abdominal fat is very responsive to improvements in diet and exercise.
In my next blog, I'll share a number of suggestions on how to tackle your belly fat with some simple lifestyle changes. But for now, I'll give you the quick-and-dirty: consume more fruits, vegetables and water; exercise a minimum of 30 minutes, a minimum of three days a week; get enough sleep; and work to control your stress. You'd be surprised at the difference made by a year of improved habits.
I also am a big proponent of drinking Xango. It's made from the juice of the mangosteen, which contain xanthones, biologically active compounds that have been found to control inflammation. (I'm a Xango distributor, so I had to get in a plug for a product I've come to love!)
I can't wait to post my next blog, which will be rife with suggestions on how to tackle the fat within!
*Cynthia Podlaski is not a physician. She is a Xango distributor who loves to share health and nutrition tips, and spread the word about mangosteen. For more information, visit http://www.mymangosteen.com/distributors/ThePodlaskis/biz/why_xango.asp or call (714) 342-5587.
