Exercise Beats Diet

Visceral fat, seems wicked doesn’t it? It’s the level of fat that environs the internal organs of your abdomen. In layman’s terms it’s your “pot belly” or “beer gut.” Excesses of fat are dangerous factors for heart illness and Type 2 diabetes.

What makes stomach fat so vital over other types of body fat are the inflammatory molecules that visceral fat creates and goes into the bloodstream. These inflammatory molecules flow throughout the body and can trigger a condition recognized as metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome presents with symptoms like increased blood pressure and reduced HDL cholesterol.

The primary and most common recommendation to fight metabolic syndrome is to make alterations in lifestyle, namely to reduce calories in the diet and add activity levels. A recent research by the University of Illinois has shown that exercise alone may be just as efficient as the combination of diet and exercise.

The twelve-week research was conducted on mice in four divisions: a sedentary control group, a diet-only division, an exercise-only division, and a group that combined a low fat diet combined with exercise. The only big differences in the visceral fat in the rats at the conclusion of the study were found in the two divisions that incorporated exercise. Although the exercise-only division maintained a high fat diet, the exercise proved to be enough to decrease the inflammatory abdominal fat.

This is persuading news for people with a “pot belly” who are beginning to show symptoms of metabolic syndrome. The exercise series created for the study was at a very unexceptional level. The human equivalent of the exercise would be a 30 to 45 minute stroll five days each week. The same amount of exercise is recommended by the U.S. Department of Health to decrease the danger of other chronic diseases.

Health benefits can be obtained for many people by taking on physical movement. This research furthers that claim by presenting direct connection between exercise and decreased abdominal fat. It’s just more proof that you must spend time in your life for a little of physical activity every day.

Jason Myers is a professional writer and he writes mostly about diet and fitness news. He’s also interested in giving diet tips for everyone.