Good Fats May Help Burn Belly Fat

by Bethany Sanders (Subscribe to Bethany Sanders's posts)
Jul 21st 2009 12:00PM

Photo: sxc.hu

Fat-free diets are so last year. Today's diet gurus know that a little fat -- as long as it's the right fat -- can be a very good thing. In fact, in a recent study, supplementing with certain fats helped obese, postmenopausal women lose fat and gain lean muscle mass.

Researchers asked older women with obesity and type 2 diabetes to take eight capsules a day of either safflower oil or conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an omega-6 fatty acid that's found in certain foods. Each group took supplements for 16 weeks, took a month off, then began using the other oil.

The results were interesting: Safflower oil decreased belly fat, increased muscle mass and lowered fasting glucose levels in the women. CLA decreased women's BMI by an average of a half a point.

This study seems to back up what we've been learning about healthy fats -- they're an important part of a balanced diet. Even Weight Watchers asks its members to include two tablespoons in their diets each day.

Fats can be confusing -- especially if you're from a generation taught to avoid them. Omega 6s, which are found naturally in nuts and soybean oil, are actually plentiful in the American diet -- but they're often stuck into processed foods that are high in calories. Omega 3s, on the other hand, are found in foods like walnuts, flaxseed and fatty fishes. Chances are that if you're eating a Western diet, you get more omega 6s than omega 3s, an imbalance that Dr. Weil says can lead to inflammation in the body.

eHow has a good list of sources for healthy fats. Just keep in mind that when it comes to fat -- good or bad -- a little goes a long way. Enjoy, but in moderation.

How do you include healthy fats in your diet?

Comments (3)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jen 7-21-2009 @ 1:18PM

I so agree. You need to have some fat in your diet! So many of my friends try to eliminate all fat from their diet to losee weight and they end up not being satisfied and theri skin looks terrible.

Dr. Charles Martin 7-22-2009 @ 10:51AM

Let's hope this study gets widely noticed and its findings are actually implemented as another tool in the effort to slow the epidemic of type 2 diabetes that is sweeping the U.S. and many other developed countries. It's only an incremental step, but it will take every possible approach to turn this epidemic around.

We write extensively about related issues at http://dentistryfordiabetics.com/blog, especially the links between elevated blood sugar and gum disease that can interfere with diabetes control and significantly increase risk of serious health events such as heart attack, stroke and blindness.

- Charles Martin, DDS
Founder, Dentistry For Diabetics

Todd29 9-15-2009 @ 1:43PM

NO-ONE WILL LOSE WEIGHT UNLESS THEY WANT TO! Stop dieting; keep track of everything that you eat each day. Secret information will help you to get the body that you want. Each day keep your body properly hydrated with plain water and definitely limit your sodium intake. Keep mindless grazing to a minimum. Remember; eat to live, don’t live to eat! A daily regimen is needed by everyone and that regimen includes proper nourishment. Diets and diet aids do not help anyone! The only way to successfully lose weight and get the body that you deserve is by using secret information. This information is in the book Lose Weight Using Four Easy Steps which can be ordered through the website www.bbotw.com Everyone who has gotten a copy of these secrets has lost weight and become healthier.