There are a number of ways fat can be stored inside the body, including the well-known form subcutaneous, which is fat stored under the skin that we can see and touch.
But health experts have warned about the dangers of visceral fat, which is stored deep inside the belly and wraps around the organs, including the liver and intestines.
This ‘hidden fat’ makes up around one tenth of all the fat stored in the body, and a certain amount is required to help insulate and protect vital organs.
Alarmingly, too much can increase your risk of serious health issues, such as heart disease, diabetes and even cancer.
Visceral fat has been linked to a high-calorie diet and little physical activity.
Cutting back on calories, saturated fats and sugar is one key way to blast weight - but experts have claimed that drinks can make a difference too.
Personal trainer at Bio-Synergy, Nathan Honess, has highlighted the risks visceral fat: “It’s sometimes referred to as ‘hidden fat’ because it’s stored deep in your body and can be hard to distinguish.
“Too much visceral fat can lead to health problems such as lower back pain, heart disease and diabetes.”
He specifically recommended switching out regular tea for either matcha green tea, green tea or peppermint tea.
Mr Honess added: “To help reduce visceral fat, there’s a few easy changes you can make to your diet and one involves boiling the kettle.
“Instead of your normal cuppa try switching to matcha green tea – a study found that the key nutrient – catechin – helped reduce the visceral fat in its participants, as well as overall body fat.
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“If matcha is not for you, try a cup of green or peppermint tea to aid digestion and your metabolism.”
In the 2007 study, published by Obesity journal, 240 men and women with “visceral fat-type obesity” were given green tea with different levels of catechins every day for 12 weeks.
Researchers found that participants who drank green tea containing 583mg of catechins (the higher amount) saw a greater reduction in fat.
“Decreases in body weight, body mass index, body fat ratio, body fat mass, waist circumference, hip circumference, visceral fat area, and subcutaneous fat area were found to be greater in the catechin group than in the control group,” they said.
“The continuous ingestion of a green tea extract high in catechins led to a reduction in body fat, systolic blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, suggesting that the ingestion of such an extract contributes to a decrease in obesity and cardiovascular disease risks.”
Other ways to tackle visceral fat
The personal trainer suggests other ways to shed visceral fat, including a healthier diet and increased exercise.
He added: “Leafy greens are a good addition to your weekly shop to get rid of visceral fat; try a helping of spinach or kale with your evening meal or lunchtime salad.
“One of the best methods of exercise is to hit 10,000 steps a day (to increase your activity levels) and also through regular HIIT sessions (high intensity interval training).
“As the name suggests, HIIT is short, intense bursts of exercise – think lunges, squats, burpees – which get your heart rate pumping and can help reduce fat when done regularly alongside a healthy diet.
“Regular exercise and eating wholesome, nutritious foods is the best approach at targeting visceral fat.”
