A recent article on healthday.com discusses the results of a recent study showing that certain ethnic groups are predisposed to develop more visceral fat as compared to other ethnic groups. In particular, the researchers found that South Asians were at the greatest risk. The research was conducted by Canadian researchers and was reported in the July 28 online edition of the journal PLoS ONE.
About Visceral Fat:
Visceral fat, the adipose tissue that surrounds the organs, is closely linked to metabolic risk factors such as obesity, hyperglycemia and insulin insensitivity, and lipid abnormalities. In fact, increased visceral fat is typically more predictive of health risk and outcome than common blood tests, such as total cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol and fasting blood glucose. Many medical professional avoid discussing visceral fat and its role in overall health with patients because most doctors are not knowledgeable about how to measure visceral fat and, if elevated, how to recommend treatment for patients. At the Princeton Longevity Center, visceral fat is measured using precision scanning to closely look inside the abdominal cavity to assess total visceral fat that has accumulated. Diet, exercise, age and genetics all play a role in who will develop visceral fat.
Dietitian’s Perspective:
Diet plays a large role in the development of visceral fat. A high carbohydrate diet, especially one that is concentrated in simple sugars (sugar found in baked goods, candy and white starches) leads to faster and greater development of visceral fat. Choosing foods based on their glycemic index (low glycemic index is recommended) is the best way to prevent the development of visceral fat. Not surprisingly, foods that are considered low glycemic index include high fiber cereal, beans, nuts, most non-starchy vegetables, and fruits such as cherries and grapefruit.
Click the link below to read the article:
http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=655285
