Belly fat is not only uncomfortable, but dangerous—unlike subcutaneous fat which is stored under the skin, visceral fat is stored deep in the abdomen around vital organs such as the liver and kidneys. “The issue is health, not cosmetics,” says Dr. Garth Davis, bariatric surgeon at Houston Methodist. “The presence of visceral fat is a good predictor of the development of chronic metabolic disease, whether it's hypertension, heart disease or diabetes.” Getting rid of belly fat should be a top health priority, but that’s usually easier said than done. While living a healthy lifestyle will help get rid of fat, a specific diet can have a significant impact on belly fat, and fiber in particular has been shown to have impressive fat-burning qualities. Here’s what the experts say about eating fiber and weight loss.
RELATED: 8 Best Ways to Strip Away Your Unhealthiest Belly Fat.
Fiber and Belly Fat
ShutterstockResearch from Wake Forest Baptist shows eating soluble fiber from vegetables, fruit, and beans can help torch belly fat. "We know that a higher rate of visceral fat is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes and fatty liver disease," says Kristen Hairston, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest Baptist and lead researcher on the study. "Our study found that making a few simple changes can have a big health impact… There is mounting evidence that eating more soluble fiber and increasing exercise reduces visceral or belly fat, although we still don't know how it works. Although the fiber-obesity relationship has been extensively studied, the relationship between fiber and specific fat deposits has not. Our study is valuable because it provides specific information on how dietary fiber, especially soluble fiber, may affect weight accumulation through abdominal fat deposits."
Fiber and Overall Health
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Another study shows that eating at least 19 grams of fiber (from real food, not supplements) a day can lead to weight loss and improved health markers. "In addition to weight control, higher fiber diets can also help to prevent type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease," Dr. Frank Hu, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, tells Harvard Health.
Eat Your Fiber First
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Make sure quality fiber from food is part of every meal. “Start your meal, especially your largest meal, with seasoned vegetables, be it vegetable soup or the vegetables on your entrée plate,” say Rasa Kazlauskaite, MD, and Sheila Dugan, MD, via Rush University Medical Center. “And remember that vegetables should always comprise at least half of your plate and be a mix of starchy (like potatoes) and nonstarchy ones (your leafy greens, broccoli, etc.). Eating the vegetables first will leave less room for other foods that aren't as healthy, because vegetable fiber is filling.”
RELATED: The Habit That Helps You Lose Belly Fat.
Fiber and Satiety
ShutterstockEating more fiber can help with satiety, which means eating less, which helps with weight loss. “Consuming fiber may help you lose weight because fiber-rich foods can make you feel fuller longer,” Adam B. Gorelick, MD, tells Nuvance Health. “Fiber-dense foods also tend to have other health benefits and fewer calories. Feeling full can help prevent overeating and lead to maintaining a healthy weight by not eating more calories than you are burning.”
Overall Weight Loss
ShutterstockIt’s crucial to focus on overall weight loss, through diet, exercise, and a calorie deficit, to get rid of belly fat. “The heavier you are, the fuller the standard areas to store fat become, meaning that the fat ends up being deposited around your abdominal organs and your heart,” says Dr. Davis. “In surgery with these patients, it's a very short distance from the skin to the belly, but then the belly is just filled with fat — fat in the liver, fat lining the intestines, fat everywhere.”
