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Visceral fat, or the fat inside our organs, is strongly associated with chronic disease, acting as a common pathway for inflammation. Eliminating visceral fat can significantly improve various forms of chronic disease.
Factors such as processed foods, excessive alcohol consumption, impaired sleep, chronic stress, and excessive exercise can contribute to the accumulation of visceral fat in the body.
Some individuals may appear thin or normal weight on the outside but still have a significant amount of visceral fat. Conversely, others may have more subcutaneous fat but low visceral fat.
MRI scans provide a more accurate assessment of visceral fat than traditional measures like BMI. They help individuals understand their internal fat distribution and can motivate them to make positive changes in their lifestyle.
It is important to be aware of the presence and significance of deep subcutaneous fat, which is often not taught in medical school and not widely discussed. This type of fat can have an impact on visceral fat and overall health.
Visceral fat, when present in excess, can impair the body's ability to respond to stimuli and negatively affect various systems. It poses a risk for inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues.
The health of the microbiome plays a crucial role in overall health and the body's response to different diets and lifestyles. A diverse collection of beneficial and diverse microbes is desirable for optimal health.
While calorie intake matters, the quality of calories is equally important. Processed foods and an unhealthy diet can contribute to visceral fat, while a diet of whole foods and a focus on microbiome health can help reduce its presence.
The speaker explains that the microbiome residing in our gastrointestinal tract can influence our cravings for certain foods, especially those high in simple sugars. The microbes depend on these sugars for survival, and they have the ability to influence the host. The speaker recommends reducing the food supply to these microbes to diminish cravings.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of incorporating a variety of exercises into our routines. The speaker suggests that nature favors variety, and humans should mix up their workouts to target different muscle groups and reap the benefits of different forms of exercise. Sprinting and resistance training are specifically highlighted as beneficial exercises.
The podcast discusses the influence of alcohol on health and sleep. The speaker shares personal experiences and observations, mentioning the negative effects of alcohol on sleep quality and overall health. They recommend reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption to improve sleep and overall well-being.
This episode is brought to you by Beekeepers Naturals and ButcherBox.
As we age and start to experience subtle shifts in our bodies, we might notice more swollenness in our joints and puffiness in our faces and generally feel more lethargic and less mentally sharp. These are telltale signs of chronic inflammation that could be linked to high levels of visceral fat—the “hidden fat” that’s stored deep inside our organs.
Today on The Dhru Purohit Podcast, Dhru sits down with Dr. Sean O’Mara for a deep dive into the dangers of visceral fat, what foods and lifestyle factors promote visceral fat production, and how we can take steps to lower our levels to prevent chronic disease and prolong our life span.
Dr. Sean O’Mara works with business executives, professional performers, and athletes motivated to optimize their biology through innovative techniques of performance enhancement. Dr. O'Mara was the founder of an innovative medical start-up in Minneapolis, MN, called Lantu, which focuses on health and performance optimization.
Dr. O'Mara and his team used cutting-edge data analytics to glean insights to identify and leverage innovative biometrics of health, the human genome, and the microbiome. He has over a decade of experience evaluating and reversing chronic disease.
In this episode, Dhru and Dr. O’Mara dive into (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):
-What is visceral fat, and why is it so dangerous? (1:46 / 1:46)
-Visual differences between healthy fat and visceral fat (10:35 / 7:25)
-The top five diet and lifestyle factors that contribute to visceral fat (20:10 / 16:50)
-The link between longevity and visceral fat (35:16 / 32:06)
-Visceral fat vs subcutaneous fat in obesity and menopause (39:49 / 36:42)
-Dr. O’Mara’s patient with TOFI (thin on the outside, fat on the inside) (59:11 / 55:20)
-What makes a person susceptible to having a lot of visceral fat? (1:03:11 / 59:40)
-The marbling of skeletal muscle tissue and risk for heart disease (1:22:11 / 1:17:52)
-Study of visceral fat in sprinters (1:28:52 / 1:23:15)
-How visceral fat impacts nitric oxide, blood flow, cognition, and hair growth (1:31:50 / 1:30:42)
-Optimal level of visceral fat in the body (1:51:58 / 1:48:50)
-Energy balance vs a whole-foods diet: which is best for reducing visceral fat? (2:01:49 / 1:56:47)
-The link between visceral fat and the gut microbiome (2:03:30 / 2:00:42)
-Dr. O’Mara’s take on alcohol (2:20:04 / 2:16:54)
-Dr. O’Mara’s tips for sleep optimization (2:26:19 / 2:23:10)
-Taking your health journey one step at a time (2:31:28 / 2:28:41)
-The best way to exercise to reduce visceral fat (2:35:40 / 2:31:44)
-Erectile dysfunction (2:52:20 / 2:49:12)
-Best way to measure visceral fat (3:00:41 / 2:56:36)
Also mentioned in this episode:
-Dr. Sean O’Mara on The Minimalist Podcast
Go to beekeepersnaturals.com/DHRU and enter code “DHRU” to get Beekeeper’s Naturals' exclusive offer of 20% off sitewide.
Right now, new members of ButcherBox receive New York strip steaks for a year PLUS $20 off your first order. Go to butcherbox.com/DHRU to sign up and use the code DHRU.
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