To reduce visceral fat, you should gradually reduce the amount of starch found in white rice and switch to slowly absorbed starch from brown rice. (Source: Adobe Stock)

According to doctors, thin people can also accumulate visceral fat. This is a layer of fat that greatly affects health. To reduce visceral fat, you need to follow some basic principles including controlling sugar intake, increasing soluble fiber and consuming enough protein.

Reduce sugar intake

A study conducted on 76 patients with type 2 diabetes showed that by simply following a low-sugar diet for 3 months, these people significantly reduced their body weight, BMI, blood sugar, glycated hemoglobin, blood lipids and visceral fat.

Dr. Li Tangyue noted that it is necessary to control the amount of refined sugar and refined starch intake daily. Initially, you can reduce your sugar intake by 10-15% to reduce fat in the liver and stomach.

After that, you should gradually reduce the amount of refined starch found in white rice, vermicelli, pho, bread... and switch to slowly absorbed starch from brown rice, sweet potatoes... and eat slowly, chew thoroughly to reduce the amount of sugar you take in every day.

Increase soluble fiber

Research shows that increasing 10g of soluble fiber in each meal helps reduce visceral fat accumulation by up to 3.7%. Dr. Li Tangyue said that foods rich in soluble fiber such as vegetables, mushrooms... help reduce cholesterol absorption, thereby reducing visceral fat accumulation.

The ideal diet to reduce visceral fat requires 40% of each meal to be soluble fiber.

Get enough protein

Lack of protein causes weight gain and increased visceral fat. Dr. Li Tangyue recommends taking protein from eggs, chicken breast, lean pork, beans, mushrooms, nuts... to boost metabolism, increase muscle formation, promote weight loss and reduce visceral fat.

The recommended daily protein intake for adults is 0.8g/kg body weight; equivalent to 56g for a 70kg man and 46g for a 57kg woman.