Interesting reason why you may gain fat around your waist.

When you notice that you have gained fat around your waist, it usually also means that you have gained visceral fat.

Visceral fat is fat deposited around your inner organs, and is contributing to metabolic dysfunction and inflammation.

The reviewed research is very interesting because it investigated if there was a connection between an increase in waist circumference, visceral fat, and increased intestinal permeability (Gummesson A, et al. 2011). Intestinal permeability is a way to tell if we are absorbing particles into the blood that were not meant to be absorbed. The mucosal membranes of the intestinal tract are supposed to protect us from absorbing pathogens like bacteria’s and also large protein particles that were not meant to be absorbed. Our body will attempt to defend itself by triggering inflammation when we absorb particles that we are not meant to absorb.

In this study, waist circumference and intestinal permeability were measured, and computed tomography and dual energy X-Ray were also used. A positive correlation was found between waist circumference and intestinal permeability. Visceral fat and liver fat also correlated with increased intestinal permeability.

It is important to have normal intestinal permeability and a well functioning gastrointestinal tract for many reasons, and it may also help you in keeping your waist slim.

Click here to learn how to eat to support a healthy gastrointestinal tract.

Gummesson A¹, Carlsson LM, Storlien LH, Bäckhed F, Lundin P, Löfgren L, Stenlöf K, Lam YY, Fagerberg B, Carlsson B. Intestinal permeability is associated with visceral adiposity in healthy women. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011 Nov;19(11):2280-2. doi: 10.1038/oby.2011.251. Epub 2011 Aug 18.