Belly fat is more than a nuisance that makes your clothes feel tight. Fat accumulated in the lower body (the pear shape) is subcutaneous, while fat in the abdominal area (the apple shape) is largely visceral. Where fat ends up is influenced by several factors, including heredity and hormones. As the evidence against abdominal fat mounts, researchers and clinicians are trying to measure it, correlate it with health risks, and monitor changes that occur with age and overall weight gain or loss.
One reason excess visceral fat is so harmful could be its location near the portal vein, which carries blood from the intestinal area to the liver. Substances released by visceral fat, including free fatty acids, enter the portal vein and travel to the liver, where they can influence the production of blood lipids. Visceral fat is directly linked with higher total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower HDL (good) cholesterol, and insulin resistance.
Belly fat is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions. Though losing fat from this area can be difficult, there are several things you can do to reduce excess abdominal fat.
What is a Zobo drink?
Zobo drink is made from dried deep red parts of the hibiscus plant. It has sweet and tart flavors, similar to cranberry, and may be consumed hot or iced. It is rich in vitamin C, minerals, and antioxidants and helps in the treatment of hypertension and anxiety. Consuming zobo lowers the blood pressure in pre-hypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults.
Zobo drink also helps with maintaining healthy eyes, combats anemia, supports the digestive system, helps cure hypertension syndrome, prevents early aging, helps the liver function properly, and reportedly treats.
Zobo drink is popular in Western Africa, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean. Also known as roselle or sorrel, it’s been used to treat everything from high blood pressure to indigestion.
Does zobo drink burn belly fat?
Yes, a zobo drink can help you burn belly fat and keep you in shape because studies have shown that consuming the drink is associated with weight loss and protection against obesity. One study gave 36 overweight participants either a zobo drink or a placebo. After 12 weeks, zobo drink reduced body weight, body fat, body mass index, and hip-to-waist ratio. Another study showed that zobo drink led to reductions in cholesterol and triglycerides in the population. This can lead to a reduced risk of obesity.
Your liver is extremely important to health, metabolism, and the ability to lose weight, burn fat and detoxify the body. Zobo drink helps keep the liver healthy, according to several studies. The extract protects the liver from a variety of toxins, likely due to its powerful antioxidant activity. It’s even demonstrated some anti-cancer activity in laboratory tests of liver cells. A healthy liver will ensure that you burn excess belly fat and prevent obesity.
How to take a zobo drink for weight loss?
Aside from its multitude of possible zobo health benefits, the drink is delicious and easy to prepare at home.
Simply add dried zobo flowers to a teapot and pour boiling water over them. Let it steep for five minutes, then strain, sweeten it if desired, and enjoy.
Zobo drink can be consumed hot or cold and has a tart taste similar to that of cranberries.
For weight loss, avoid excess sugar while making zobo drinks. Too much of the sugary sweet stuff or heavily refined and processed carbohydrates can lead to excess fat storage, as insulin works hard to keep excess glucose out of the bloodstream. And some of this is stored as visceral fat.
If you’re not at risk health-wise by drinking zobo drink, it’s still best not to overdo it. There still isn’t enough research done on zobo drinks, so it’s recommended to limit your consumption to 2-3 cups per day.
Dried zobo can be purchased at your local health food store or online. Zobo drink is also available in pre-made bottles, which you can simply pop and enjoy.
