Health
Banish belly fat and improve health
The way to a person’s heart may
be through his or her stomach
in more ways than one. Doctors
have tied heart health to the
abdomen, and having extra pounds
around one’s middle can be detrimental
to cardiovascular well-being.
Excess visceral fat in the belly,
something doctors refer to as “central
adiposity,” may have potentially dangerous
consequences. While the link
between belly fat and heart health
has long been associated with men,
women may be even more vulnerable
to the adverse health effects of belly
fat. A study published in March 2018
in the Journal of the American Heart
Association examined 500,000 people
between the ages of 40 and 69. Participants
had their body measurements
taken, and then were kept track of
for heart attack occurrence over the
next seven years. During that period,
the women who carried more weight
around their middles (measured by
waist circumference, waist-to-hip
ratio or waist-to-height ratio) had a
10 to 20 percent greater risk of heart
attack than women who were just
heavier over all.
Belly fat is particularly dangerous
because it doesn’t just include
the insulating, or subcutaneous, fat
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under the skin. It is largely visceral
fat that also surrounds the organs
in the abdomen. Harvard Medical
School reports that visceral fat is
metabolically active and has been
strongly linked to a host of serious
diseases, including heart disease,
diabetes, cancer, and dementia. Visceral
fat is like an endocrine organ
that secretes hormones and a host of
other chemicals linked to diseases
that can affect adults. One substance
is called retinol-binding protein
4 (RBP4), which has been tied to
an increased risk of coronary heart
disease. In 2015, a study published
in the Annals of Internal Medicine
found that normal-weight people
with excessive belly fat had a higher
risk of dying of heart disease or any
other cause compared with people
without central obesity.
The online health and wellness resource
Medical News Today says doctors
determine belly fat to be a problem
when a woman’s waist measures
35 inches or more and a man’s 40
inches or more. MRIs also can be used
as a fat analyzer and will be judged on
a scale of 1 to 59. A measurement of 13
and under is desireable.
The Mayo Clinic advises that poor
diet and fi tness habits can contribute
to belly fat. As people age, they may
have to make more drastic changes
to their diets and exercise regimens
to counteract changes in their metabolisms.
Eliminating sugary beverages,
watching portion sizes, counting
calories, doing moderate aerobic
activity daily, and choosing healthier
foods can help tame visceral fat.
Also, doctors may recommend those
who are stressed to try stress-busting
techniques, as stress also may be
tied to excessive belly fat.
Belly fat should not be overlooked,
as its presence can greatly increase a
person’s risk for various diseases.
Doctors have tied heart health to the abdomen, and having extra pounds around one’s
middle can be detrimental to cardiovascular well-being.
Three heart-healthy foods
According to the National Center for
Health Statistics, heart disease is
the leading causing of death in both
men and women. Certain factors beyond
an individual’s control, such as family
history and age, affect his or her risk of
developing heart disease, but men and
women are not helpless against heart
disease.
Diet can be a friend or foe with regard
to heart disease. A bad diet may elevate
a person’s risk for high blood pressure,
heart attack or stroke, while a diet
rich in heart-healthy foods can lower
that risk. The following are a handful of
heart-healthy foods for men and women
who want to begin the new year on a
nourishing foot.
Raisins: Researchers from the Louisville
Metabolic and Atherosclerosis
Research Center found that consuming
raisins three times a day may signifi -
cantly lower blood pressure among individuals
with mild increases in blood
pressure. Raisins can help combat the
growth of a type of bacteria that causes
gum disease, which few people may
know is linked to heart disease. In lieu
of reaching for cookies or potato chips
come snack time, opt for heart-healthy
raisins instead.
Salmon: Though its label as a fatty
fi sh may lead some to question its nutritional
properties, salmon is rich in omega
3 fatty acids, which can decrease a
person’s risk of developing an abnormal
heartbeat (arrhythmia), slightly lower
blood pressure and slow the growth of
atherosclerotic plaque, the buildup of
which can contribute to heart attack,
stroke or even death. Albacore tuna, herring
and lake trout are additional examples
of heart-healthy fatty fi sh.
Whole grains: Whole grains help
men and women maintain healthy
weights while lowering their risk for
heart disease, making them perfect dietary
additions for anyone who resolves
to lose weight and protect their heart in
the year ahead. According to the American
Heart Association, whole grains —
such as whole wheat, oats and oatmeal,
rye, barley, and brown rice — are great
sources of dietary fi ber, while refi ned
grains like white rice and enriched
bread contain little fi ber. That’s an important
distinction, as dietary fi ber can
improve blood cholesterol levels and
lower risk of heart disease and stroke.
Tomatoes: Researchers at Boston’s
Tufts University analyzed more than
a decade’s worth of data in an effort to
discover the effects of lycopene, which
is the antioxidant responsible for giving
tomatoes their familiar red color, on the
cardiovascular system. They ultimately
discovered that people who regularly
consumed foods with lycopene over an
11-year period reduced their risk of coronary
heart disease by 26 percent. The
lycopene found in tomatoes may be even
more accessible when they are cooked.