Dr Zoe Williams discusses visceral fat on This Morning

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Even if you are not a TOFI, the likelihood of carrying excess visceral fat if you are overweight is high. One fruit, however, could help reduce the bioactive and harmful belly fat. Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found that avocado could be a fat-busting fruit. For the clinical trial, 105 people – classified as overweight or obese – were involved in the 12-week study.

Professor Naiman Khan, of kinesiology and community health, said: “We were interested in understanding what eating an avocado does to the way individuals store their body fat.”

Professor Khan elaborated: “In the abdomen, there are two kinds of fat.

“Fat that accumulates right underneath the skin [is] called subcutaneous fat.

“And fat that accumulates deeper in the abdomen, known as visceral fat, surrounds the internal organs.”

Those with a higher proportion of visceral fat tend to be at higher risk of diabetes.

“We were interested in determining whether the ratio of subcutaneous to visceral fat changed with avocado consumption,” Dr Khan added.

For the study, participants were separated into two groups: one group received meals that incorporated a fresh avocado, while the other group did not.

Both groups were served meals with identical ingredients and similar calories, aside from the addition or exclusion of an avocado.

At the beginning – and end – of the experiment, the researchers measured the participants’ abdominal fat and glucose tolerance.

Females who consumed an avocado daily for 12 weeks experienced a reduction in visceral abdominal fat.

They also experienced a reduction in the ratio of visceral fat to subcutaneous fat, “indicating a redistribution of fat away from the organs”.

However, for males, fat distribution did not change – and both sexes in the avocado group did not benefit from improved glucose tolerance.

Khan stated: “Learning that the benefits were only evident in females tells us a little bit about the potential for sex playing a role in dietary intervention responses.”

One effective measure for reducing visceral fat – regardless of your sex – is exercise.

Experts at WebMD elaborated: “There are many exercises out there, but not all are created equal when it comes to banishing belly fat.”

The most recommended exercises for busting visceral fat include aerobic exercises.

Thirty minutes of daily aerobic exercises into your routine will work wonders.

Examples of aerobic exercises include: jogging, biking, fast-paced walking, swimming, and rowing.

High-intensity interval training (HITT) is also recommended to improve your physical health.

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