The Connection Between Belly Fat & Inflammation
If you don’t already have a long list of reasons to get rid of any excess weight in your waistline, this post explores the direct connection between inflammation and belly fat in detail. As more time passes, there is more research coming to the forefront to confirm that carrying extra weight on your gut area can have a detrimental effect on other parts of the body, including chronic inflammation which could then lead to diabetes, heart disease and more.
Diseases Linked to Belly Fat
· High Blood Pressure
· Inflammatory Bowel Disease
· Type-2 Diabetes
· Rheumatoid and/or Psoriatic Arthritis
· Systemic Lupus
· Psoriasis
· Colorectal Cancer
· Autoimmune Thyroid Disease
· Multiple Sclerosis
· Cardiovascular Disease
· Sleep Apnoea
Why Is Belly Fat So Much Worse Than Fat in Other Parts?
If you have fat on the butt, back, legs or arm, this actually has very little effect in terms of causing serious harm to the body. The reason that abdominal fat is so bad is due in part to its proximity to the intestinal organs. The fat that is in your arms and other areas listed above, is called Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue, whereas the fat around your belly is called Visceral Adipose Tissue; also known as SAT and VAT.
Visceral Fat actually attracts immune cells known as Lymphocytes and Macrophages, which are responsible for releasing cytokines that disrupt your metabolism and end up causing more inflammation and more fat to accumulate in the belly region.
Fat increases inflammation in a number of ways:
1. A Slower Release of Adiponectin (a protein which regulates blood sugar levels and breaks down fatty acids)
2. An Increase in Adipose Tissue Hypoxia (a lack of oxygen reaching the fat cells)
3. Decreased Release of Leptin (the hormone that tells you you're 'full')
Inflammation is stimulated when oxygen struggles to reach cells, and this happens to the fat cells when they are enlarged. When you put on weight, this causes your fat cells to become bigger, and as those cells transition from lean cells to the obese stages, there is less room for the oxygen (even when you lose weight you don't lose fat cells, you just shrink them, leaving more room for the oxygen). This specific process is strongly tied to metabolic irregularities.
In their normal healthy state, the bodily tissues will use oxygen to burn off any excess fat. Some essential immune cells actually depend on oxygen for their normal functioning energy. Other cells, which are the type you see in a person that is obese, such as inflamed immune cells, insulin resistant or metabolically challenged cell do not need oxygen for energy.
There is so much research that confirms the unforgiving effects that sustained belly fat can have on your body. Having an ‘apple shaped’ body is also strongly linked with having inflammatory diseases. On the contrary, those with a ‘pear shaped’ body who tend to store their fat on their hips have a lower risk of diabetes and heart disease in general. This is why some Doctors will measure out the circumference of a persons’ body in order to ascertain any people who may have an elevated risk of these issues.
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What Harm Can Be Caused By Inflammation?
Contrary to popular belief, inflammation is a serious issue. It is a complicated process that your body goes through in order to combat the effects of irritants, pathogens or cells that are damaged. Essentially, it is your body using its natural instinctive ability to safeguard itself through the removal of harmful substances. Simply put, it is part of the immunological response of your body, and it is a way of kickstarting the healing process.
If inflammation occurs within your body frequently, which can easily occur if you have a poor diet, your body might then become chronically inflamed which is essentially a type of autoimmune disease. This is a serious condition as your body will switch from its natural protective state, and turn instead to focus on attacking itself, which will undoubtedly result in more longer-term health consequences.
Chronic fatigue and joint pain are just two of the common symptoms of such a condition, in some cases, this inflammation even spreads to the gums in the form of Gingivitis. In some cases, there will be no warning signs externally or internally until a serious health concern prevails.
There are also many different types of foods that you can consume which are stated to help you to burn belly fat and fight-off inflammation within the body:
· Broccoli
· Cinnamon
· Turmeric
· Ginger
· Green Apples
· Spinach
· Strawberries
· Salmon
· Avocado
· Lemon
· Leek
This is not an extensive list by any means, but it will help to get you started and back on track. Nobody wants to carry around excess weight on their belly; however, if you were looking for that extra bit of motivation in order to kick-start your new abdominal regime, we hope you found the inspiration and information you were looking for in this post.