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.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (2)
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Diet-induced fasting ghrelin elevation reflects the recovery of insulin sensitivity and visceral adiposity regression.
The study found that diet-induced changes in ghrelin levels reflect improvements in insulin sensitivity and reductions in visceral fat.
More than skin-deep: visceral fat is strongly associated with disease activity, function and metabolic indices in psoriatic disease
The study found that patients with psoriatic disease have excessive visceral fat, which correlates with disease activity and metabolic problems.
Contradicting (2)
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Effect of exercise training on insulin sensitivity, hyperinsulinemia and ectopic fat in black South African women: a randomized controlled trial.
The study found that exercise improved insulin sensitivity without changing ectopic fat in black South African women.
Visceral fat resection in humans: Effect on insulin sensitivity, beta‐cell function, adipokines, and inflammatory markers
The study investigated the effects of removing visceral fat on metabolic health, but the results are not clear-cut.