Replacing black tea with three other types of tea can eliminate “intrinsic fat”.

The study found that a certain type of tea not only reduced visceral fat, but also affected body mass index and waist circumference.

Visceral fat is found deep in the abdominal cavity and is essential for insulating and protecting vital organs. However, too much of it can cause serious health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.

And diet is one of the main reasons for the increase in visceral fat. Cutting back on foods that are high in calories, sugar, and saturated fat is one way to lose weight. But what you drink can also matter.

Bio-Synergy personal trainer Nathan Honess explained, “Visceral fat is the fat in the abdomen that wraps around the abdominal organs. It is sometimes called hidden fat because it is stored deep in the body and can be hard to see. And too much visceral fat can lead to health problems such as back pain, heart disease and diabetes.”

He specifically recommended replacing your regular tea (black tea) with matcha green tea, green tea, or mint tea.

“To help reduce visceral fat, you can make a few simple changes to your diet, and one of them includes herbal teas,” Hunes continued.

Instead of a regular cup of black tea, consider switching to matcha green tea, as a study found that key nutrients in this tea, such as catechins, helped reduce visceral fat in participants in addition to total body fat.

“If matcha isn’t for you, try a cup of green or mint tea to help with digestion and metabolism,” Hunes added.

The study cited by Mr. Honess was published in the journal Obesity in 2007. 240 men and women with “fat-type visceral obesity” received daily green tea with various levels of catechins for 12 weeks.

The results concluded that those who drank green tea containing 583 mg of catechins (the highest amount) experienced greater fat reduction.

The researchers also recorded decreases in body weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, body fat mass, waist circumference, hip circumference, visceral fat area, and subcutaneous fat area more significantly in the catechin group compared to the control group.

Continuous intake of antioxidant-rich green tea extract resulted in reductions in body fat, systolic blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, suggesting that taking this extract helps reduce the risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Other ways to fight visceral fat

According to Honnis, green leafy vegetables help get rid of visceral fat. He recommended: “Try spinach or kale with salad for dinner or lunch.”

He added that exercise can also help reduce visceral fat, stating that “one of the best ways is to take 10,000 steps a day (to increase activity levels) as well as short, regular high-intensity workouts (HIIT).” These exercises increase your heart rate and can help reduce body fat when done regularly along with a healthy diet.

Source: Independent