Belly fat is considered particularly unhealthy. It produces hormones and inflammatory messengers that promote chronic diseases. We introduce six natural remedies that you can use to lose or at least noticeably reduce your belly fat.
Lose Belly Fat: Natural Remedies Help With It!
Those who have too much belly fat live with an increased risk of a heart attack. The risk is up to 20 percent higher than for people whose fat is not mainly on the stomach but is distributed throughout the body .
Even people with a normal BMI, who are not considered overweight but still carry belly fat in the form of a so-called “lifebuoy”, have twice the risk of death and a lower life expectancy than overweight people. Still, a cheaper one has fat distribution.
Even some endurance athletes have such a lifebuoy. It would therefore be crucial for almost everyone to reduce their belly fat. We present the proper natural remedies that can help you if you want to lose belly fat or if you want to reduce it continuously.
Why Belly Fat Is So Dangerous
Belly fat is also called visceral fat. It is so dangerous because it also surrounds internal organs, promotes chronic inflammatory processes (which are an important cause of almost every disease) and can contribute to metabolic disorders. Most of those affected suffer from insulin resistance and high blood sugar (or already from type 2 diabetes), furthermore from increased blood lipid levels and thus from an overall increased risk of cardiovascular diseases , such as high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis .
However, the belly fat can be reduced again – how could it be otherwise – with a change in diet combined with exercise/exercise. A 2019 study showed that a change in diet alone led to a weight loss of 6.1 percent over 4 months. Together with exercise, the weight fell a little more, namely by 6.9 percent. Belly fat decreased by 12 percent in the nutrition group and 14.6 percent in the nutrition plus exercise group .
Natural Ways To Lose Belly Fat
In addition to exercise (especially weight training) and a healthy diet, certain foods and supplements can now be taken that have been shown to reduce belly fat. So it is not about means that help you lose weight in general, but only about those that help you lose belly fat.
Coconut Oil
Choosing the right dietary fat can make a big difference. You should use high-quality virgin coconut oil, especially for frying. Its medium-chain fatty acids can help break down belly fat and lifebuoy. In a 2011 study, for example, the waist circumference of 20 overweight subjects decreased by an average of 2.86 centimetres after 4 weeks because they incorporated coconut oil into their diet. Otherwise, the test persons did not change anything in their diet or physical activity.
Another study with coconut oil took place two years earlier. 40 women between the ages of 20 and 40 were on a diet and walked 50 minutes a day. In addition, they received either soybean oil or coconut oil as a dietary supplement. After 12 weeks, both groups had a lower BMI, but only the coconut oil group also had a smaller waist size, which speaks for the loss of belly fat. In the soybean oil group, the cholesterol level had also worsened, which was not the case in the coconut oil group .
Since the fatty acids in coconut oil have a high smoke point, i.e., very heat-resistant, it is ideal for frying and baking. On the other hand, coconut oil is not suitable for raw vegetables. It is best to use olive oil or hemp oil for salads. We recommend the native organic coconut oil from the practical nature of the organic coconut oil from the Solling oil mill.
Curcumin
Curcumin is the active ingredient complex of turmeric, the yellow spice, which is now also known as a dietary supplement due to its numerous positive effects on health. Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties to counteract the anti-inflammatory abdominal fat in this way.
In addition, we know that curcumin can increase the basal metabolic rate, which leads to increased energy consumption and thus to optimization of body weight and metabolic health. In a meta-analysis from 2019, researchers examined 21 studies. They concluded that the regular intake of curcumin could significantly reduce BMI and waist circumference, which indicates the loss of belly fat.
The daily curcumin dose was up to 2400 mg, mostly 500 mg; the duration of the studies ranged from 4 to 36 weeks . As a curcumin preparation, we recommend curcuperin of compelling nature, which provides 2100 mg curcumin daily.
Grapefruit
Grapefruits are considered to be very healthy fruits. They are not too sweet, provide bitter substances and antioxidants, and have anti-inflammatory properties. You can read many details about grapefruit and its effects and possible uses in the previous link.
Grapefruit can also help with fat loss on the stomach. In a 2012 study, participants were asked to eat half a pink grapefruit three times a day – with each main meal for six weeks. Compared to the control group (who did not eat grapefruit), the grapefruit group had lost its waist circumference at the end of the study (on average by 2.45 cm). The welcome side effect was that the grapefruit also reduced blood pressure (systolic) by about 3.2 mmHg .
Note that grapefruits can increase the effects of drugs (and thus their side effects). Therefore, if you have to take any medication, talk to your doctor or pharmacist to see if they are among those that interact with grapefruit.
Even grapefruit essential oil mixed with cypress, juniper berry, sweet orange, and sage oils – when massaged into the skin – can help reduce belly fat, a 2007 study showed. Participants received aromatherapy with full body massage daily for six weeks. In addition, you should massage the oil into your stomach twice a day, five days a week. The participants significantly reduced their belly fat and waist circumference (which was not the case in the control group, which used grapefruit seed oil).
You can mix 4 drops of the essential oils mentioned (only 1 – 2 drops of sage oil) with 30 ml of a base massage oil (e.g. almond oil) to produce the oil.
Green Tea
Green tea contains large amounts of plant substances from the group of polyphenols (catechins). These substances are responsible for the numerous health benefits that regular green tea drinkers enjoy. The catechins, which are typical of green tea, are said to protect against cancer, be helpful in arthritis, help the memory jump and be used therapeutically for fibroids – to name just a small selection.
Green tea also helps you lose weight, especially when it comes to breaking down belly fat. Because the catechins can also accelerate the energy metabolism and in this way influence the weight and the body fat percentage. Abdominal fat in particular and the fat that surrounds the organs inside the body respond well to green tea or green tea extracts rich in catechins.
In a 2009 study of 182 overweight adults, they were given one of the following drinks or drink combinations for 90 days:
- Control group: 2 servings of a control drink with 30 mg of catechins and 10 mg of caffeine per day
- Group 1: 1 serving of the control drink and 1 serving of extra catechin-rich green tea (458 mg catechins and 104 mg caffeine per day)
- Group 2: 2 servings of a green tea rich in catechins (468 mg catechins, 126 mg caffeine)
- Group 3: 2 servings of a different catechin-rich green tea (886 mg catechins, 198 mg caffeine).
A particularly significant reduction in abdominal fat (by 5.6 cm 2 ) – compared to the control group – was observed in group 3. The waist circumference also decreased by almost 2 cm. A green tea that is very rich in catechins – according to the researchers – leads to improved body composition and reduces the body fat percentage .
Catechins account for up to 40 percent of the dry matter in green tea. (In black tea, they are destroyed mainly by fermentation). The best-known catechin is EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which you may have heard of. The catechin content of a tea varies considerably. The catechin content is highest in Korean and Japanese green teas (especially in high-quality Japanese semi-shade teas and matcha tea). The lowest values are found in green teas from Nepal, India and China .
An extra catechin-rich tea should not be drunk for longer than 3 months, as it could increase the liver values, as we report in our article on weight loss with green tea.
If you’re not too fond of green tea and prefer to take green tea extract, this is an easy way to choose a safe yet effective dose, such as B. the tigovit capsules, which contain the entire spectrum of green tea active ingredients.
Dark Chocolate
Cocoa is extremely rich in antioxidants. Accordingly, it is also any chocolate with a high cocoa content (at least 70 percent). As in green tea, the antioxidants in cocoa include polyphenols, e.g. B. flavanols, epicatechin and procyanidins. Since cocoa also helps reduce belly fat, you can easily incorporate dark chocolate into your eating plan. It contains valuable bitter substances that also curb the appetite for unhealthy sweets.
A clinical study from April 2017 with 44 people with diabetes received either 30 g of dark chocolate daily for eight weeks or (in the control group) no chocolate. Compared to the control group, the waist circumference in the chocolate group decreased by an average of just under one centimetre, the body fat percentage decreased, and the lean body mass increased. Lean body mass includes muscle mass and everything else (except fat), i.e. organs, body water, etc. The blood pressure could also be reduced significantly. The systolic value decreased by approx. 7 mmHg, the diastolic value by almost 6 mmHg .
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that is deficient in many people. Vitamin D deficiency is one of the reasons why overweight people cannot lose weight. In addition, vitamin D deficiency promotes fat storage in the abdomen and around the internal organs . Studies have already shown that the more belly fat a person has, the lower their vitamin D level and the less muscle mass they have .
In 2012, a placebo-controlled double-blind study was published on this subject with 171 participants, average age of 40 years. The test subjects were divided into two groups. They received either three 240 ml glasses of orange juice fortified with 350 mg calcium and 100 IU vitamin D or regular orange juice (without added vital substances) for 16 weeks. Weight loss was similar in both groups (average 2.45 kg), but the calcium-vitamin D group reduced significantly more abdominal/visceral fat . Here you can read exactly how vitamin D can help you lose weight.
And here you can find out how you can optimize your vitamin D level and what you should pay attention to when taking vitamin D, whereby the following applies: First, have your vitamin D level measured, then take the individually required dose! Calcium intake can be combined with vitamin D but is not necessary for a calcium-rich diet.
Conclusion: How To Lose Or Reduce Your Belly Fat
In summary, you can lose or reduce belly fat if you proceed as follows (in addition to a healthy diet and regular exercise):
- Use coconut oil as frying fat
- Season with turmeric and take a curcumin supplement
- Eat half a pink grapefruit before each main meal (three times a day) (but only if you are not taking any medication)
- Drink green tea rich in catechins or take capsules with green tea extract
- If you are nibbling, nibbling on dark chocolate
- Optimize your vitamin D levels.
Also Read: FACTORS THAT HINDER WEIGHT LOSS