:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Health-GettyImages-IntermittentFastingVisceralFat-75c05c3f12b24d3f9acf136a83fdae1a.jpg "Shrinking visceral body fat")
- Intermittent fasting may help reduce visceral fat because it often lowers overall calorie intake and supports weight loss.
- Visceral fat surrounds internal organs and is linked to inflammation, insulin resistance, diabetes, and heart disease risk.
- Research suggests that reducing total calories matters more for visceral fat loss than the specific eating pattern used.
Visceral fat is a type of fat that’s linked to health issues, including a higher risk of developing conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Some dietary changes and patterns, such as intermittent fasting, may be effective in reducing visceral fat, which could protect your health. Here’s how intermittent fasting can shrink visceral fat.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is an umbrella term for eating patterns that cycle between periods of fasting and regular eating.
There are several types of intermittent fasting, including time-restricted feeding (TRF). TRF involves eating within a specific time window, such as a four- to twelve-hour window, and then fasting for the rest of the day. The 16/8 method, where you eat within an 8-hour window, is a popular type of TRF.
Other examples of intermittent fasting include alternate-day fasting, where a person fasts every other day, and the 5:2 method, where you eat normally five days a week and then fast for two days.
Intermittent fasting is linked to a number of health benefits, including fat loss. This is mainly because intermittent fasting reduces your overall calorie intake, which is key to weight loss.
What is Visceral Fat?
Visceral adipose tissue (VAT), or visceral belly fat, is a type of fat that’s stored deep in the abdomen. Visceral fat surrounds your internal organs, like your liver and kidneys.
This type of fat is different from the fat that sits beneath your skin, which is known as subcutaneous fat.
Visceral fat is more metabolically active than subcutaneous fat. This means that fat cells in visceral fat release compounds that trigger inflammation and influence hormone levels.
Visceral fat also contains a higher concentration of blood vessels, nerves, and cells. Visceral fat is generally considered more dangerous to health than subcutaneous fat.
Having higher levels of visceral fat is strongly associated with insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Is Intermittent Fasting Effective for Reducing Visceral Fat?
Studies show that intermittent fasting can be effective for reducing body fat, including visceral fat.
A 2020 study in people with overweight found that participants who followed 16/8 intermittent fasting every day for 12 weeks experienced an average 11.1% reduction in visceral fat compared to their baseline levels and had greater weight and visceral fat loss than those who followed an unrestricted eating pattern.
However, it’s unclear whether intermittent fasting is more effective than traditional calorie restriction in reducing visceral fat levels.
A 2022 study comparing the effects of TRF and normal daily calorie restriction in people with obesity found that these eating patterns produced similar reductions in visceral fat and overall body fat over a 12-month study period. The researchers noted that their results suggested calorie reduction could account for most of the fat-reducing benefits associated with intermittent fasting.
This means that whether you use intermittent fasting or traditional calorie restriction, the most important factor in reducing visceral fat is lowering your overall calorie intake to create a calorie deficit that induces fat loss.
How Does Shrinking Visceral Fat Benefit Health?
Reducing visceral fat can slow the release of inflammatory compounds, which may reduce chronic inflammation linked to a number of diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
It can also improve insulin sensitivity by reducing fat buildup around and within the liver, helping your body respond to insulin more efficiently. This can support better blood sugar levels and may also reduce the risk of diabetes.
By driving inflammation and insulin resistance, visceral fat is also strongly linked with heart disease risk. Dropping visceral fat could support heart health and lower heart disease risk.
This means that reducing visceral fat through intermittent fasting or traditional calorie restriction can be an effective way to improve overall health.
Is Intermittent Fasting Necessary?
While some research suggests intermittent fasting may help reduce visceral fat, it's unclear whether this approach is more effective than traditional calorie restriction.
The best way to shrink visceral fat is to create a calorie deficit to induce fat loss, which can be done through a diet plan like intermittent fasting or by making a small daily calorie deficit.
No matter which you choose, it's important to follow diet patterns that prioritize nutritious foods and engage in regular physical activity to reach and maintain a healthy body weight.
