Sugary Beverages Increase Storage Of Visceral Fat

Previous studies show that having more fat in abdominal region than the lower body can be particularly dangerous. Lower-body fat is typically subcutaneous. The good news means that while this fat is harder to get rid, it doesn't carry the health risks that visceral fat does--the fat that's found in the abdominal area or otherwise known as having an "apple shape." This fat can be easier to get rid of through exercise and proper diet, but it's here where health risks are high, with cardiovascular disease being one of the most common.

New findings published in the journal Circulation show that sugary drinks are linked to an increased risk of visceral fat.

During the study, researchers gathered data on over 1,000 participants who were an average of 45 years old-with almost 50 percent of them being female. Subjects answered food questionnaires and underwent CT scans both before and after the experiments in order to determine body fat modifications.

Researchers then ranked the study subjects into the four following groups: non-drinkers, occasional drinkers, frequent drinkers and daily drinkers.

Findings revealed that those who drank the most sugared beverages had the highest increases in visceral fat over time. For instance, drinking at least one sugar-sweetened beverage per day was linked to a 27 percent increase in visceral fat volume when compared to those who didn't drink any sweetened beverages. 

Researchers made sure to factor in the participants' ages, exercise habits, body weight, and daily calorie intake.

The findings come on the heels of the latest U.S. dietary recommendations, which were released Thursday. For the first time, Ma said, the guidelines take specific aim at added sugars-encouraging Americans to get less than 10 percent of their daily calories from those sweeteners.

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