12/07/2025
When you eat excess glucose (sugar), your body first stores it as glycogen in the liver and muscles; once these stores are full, the liver converts the remaining glucose into fatty acids through a process called lipogenesis, which are then combined with glycerol to form triglycerides (fat) and stored in fat cells (adipocytes) for future energy, a process heavily regulated by the hormone insulin.
Fat deposition, driven by high cholesterol (especially LDL) and excess body fat, leads to atherosclerosis, where plaque hardens and narrows arteries, restricting blood flow; this can cause heart attacks (coronary blockage) or strokes (brain artery blockage) when a clot ruptures the plaque and blocks blood supply, starving tissues of oxygen. Obesity and inflammation worsen this, creating a vicious cycle of plaque growth, vessel damage, and increased risk for these cardiovascular events.
Visceral fat is more inflammatory because its deep location near organs causes stressed fat cells (adipocytes) to produce more pro-inflammatory cytokines (like IL-6, TNF-alpha) and attract immune cells (like macrophages) that create chronic, low-grade inflammation, contributing to insulin resistance and heart disease, unlike subcutaneous fat.
You start storing visceral fat when your body has excess calories from a poor diet (sugars, processed foods) and lack of activity, amplified by stress (cortisol), poor sleep, genetics, and age, especially for men and postmenopausal women, as the body shifts from storing fat under the skin to around the belly when healthy fat stores get overwhelmed.
Intermittent Fasting(IF) and Calorie Restriction both reduce visceral fat by creating a calorie deficit, but IF adds a hormonal shift by lowering insulin, prompting the body to burn stored fat (including dangerous visceral fat) for energy after glucose runs out, making it potentially more effective for flipping the metabolic switch and enhancing fat loss.
