Visceral fat is not just stored energy; it’s active tissue that releases harmful substances called cytokines, which make insulin resistance worse and mess up how organs use fuel, acting like a leaky power plant inside the body.

Visceral adipose tissue is metabolically active and secretes pro-inflammatory cytokines that impair insulin signaling in liver, muscle, and brain tissues.

The fat stored around your internal organs is like a factory that constantly pumps out inflammatory chemicals. These chemicals cause widespread inflammation in your body, make your cells age faster, damage your heart and blood vessels, and even weaken your body's ability to fight cancer cells.

Scientists are trying to figure out why belly fat affects the liver more than fat under the skin, by comparing how the two types of fat work.

Visceral adipose tissue releases bioactive molecules directly into the portal venous system, exposing the liver to elevated concentrations of free fatty acids and inflammatory cytokines.

Fat around the organs dumps fat and inflammatory signals straight into the liver through a special blood pipe, where they can mess with liver cells and immune cells.