3 carbs that can help reduce visceral fat

Plenty of people want to lose weight, but there’s one type of fat in particular that can be hard on your health. It’s called visceral fat, and it surrounds your internal organs.

Having higher amounts of visceral fat raises the risk of developing serious health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, making this something you want to minimize.

“Visceral fat is not inert storage; it’s metabolically active tissue sitting around the organs,” explains Scott Keatley, a registered dietitian and co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy.

Visceral fat increases inflammation in the body and disrupts insulin sensitivity, among other things, he says, explaining, “It’s dangerous because it actively alters physiology.”

It isn’t always easy to spot, although it can show up as a firm bulge in front of your abdomen.

“Visceral fat is the fat tissue deep inside your body,” says Sonya Angelone, a nutritionist and registered dietitian based in San Francisco. “It is different from the subcutaneous fat, or the type of fat you can pinch under your skin. This is how you can have a ‘skinny fat’ person.”

Concerned about visceral fat in your body? Dietitians say eating certain foods may help, along with other lifestyle changes.

3 carbs to help reduce visceral fat

It’s important to point this out: There’s no one food that will magically melt away visceral fat.

“Visceral fat responds to the overall quality and pattern of your diet,” says Keri Gans, a registered dietitian nutritionist and author of “The Small Change Diet.” “There is no spot-reducing food or dietary pattern. No single food will just burn belly fat.”

However, experts say that making overall smart dietary choices can help. That can include swapping out processed carbohydrates (which are famous for contributing to visceral fat) for minimally processed carbs. Consider these three carbohydrates, per dietitians.

Whole grains: “Whole grains contain intact fiber structures that slow digestion, flatten glucose spikes and increase satiety,” Keatley says. “They improve insulin sensitivity, prevent rapid insulin rises and help regulate hunger hormones.”

That can help to reduce how many calories you take in overall, and direct your metabolism to burn fat, he says.

Gans suggests reaching for whole grains like oats, barley, quinoa and brown rice, explaining, “Diets higher in whole grains are consistently linked with lower abdominal fat.”

Legumes: Legumes deliver resistant starch and soluble fiber, both of which can spark a reaction that lowers inflammation in your body and improves the body’s use of insulin, according to Keatley. “Because legumes digest slowly, they keep you full for hours, which helps maintain a calorie deficit without feeling deprived,” he says.

Beans, lentils and chickpeas are good legume choices to try — they’re high in fiber and protein, Gans points out. “All are useful when trying to reduce visceral fat,” she says.

Nonstarchy vegetables: These add bulk to your diet with minimal calories, while also delivering antioxidants that reduce inflammation, Keatley says. “Their fiber slows gastric emptying and increases stomach stretch, triggering early fullness cues. That naturally leads to smaller meals and steadier post-meal glucose levels — perfect conditions for visceral fat reduction.”

Examples of nonstarchy vegetables include leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables.

Other foods that can help

There are plenty of other foods that can help reduce visceral fat. “I also recommend foods that are a source of resistant fiber, a type of fiber that takes longer to digest and has less of an impact on blood sugar levels,” Angelone says. “Cooked, cooled overnight then reheated or eaten cold, rice or potatoes are great sources of resistant fiber.”