Can supplements fix belly fat? Experts explain

In videos circulating on TikTok, creators tell viewers that their fat is simply caused by high cortisol levels – “You’re not fat, you have a bag of cortisol” – and then recommend vitamin D supplementation as a solution which may exist.

But the experts said Newsweek that although the stress hormone cortisol can contribute to the storage of excess fat in the abdomen, the “cortisol bag” cannot be cured with a simple supplement.

“We hear about cortisol being called the ‘stress hormone,’ but it also does more than that,” psychologist Dr. Omayra Quijano-Vega of Paloma Health said. Newsweek. “It is responsible for regulating metabolism, blood sugar and insulin production and is important for the sleep cycle.”

Endocrinologist Maria Teresa Anton of the Pritikin Longevity Center said Newsweek: “Although not a medical term, ‘cortisol bag’ is often used to describe the accumulation of abdominal fat associated with high cortisol levels. This is a common condition where chronic stress leads to increased belly fat.”

Both endocrinologists agree that hormones, including cortisol, are important in fat storage processes and that a stressful lifestyle that leads to excess cortisol in the body can lead to excess belly fat, which known as the cortisol bag.

But nutritionists who spoke to them Newsweek he said that taking vitamin D supplements is not necessarily the solution.

“The potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation for abdominal fat and cortisol regulation have generated a lot of interest in my clinic, but the science is still complex,” said nutritionist Rakhi Lad of Healthology. Newsweek.

“Some research shows that low levels of vitamin D may be associated with increased belly fat, especially in women, and may stimulate cortisol production. However, the evidence is inconclusive, and there is no easy solution,” said Lad.

Lad added that it’s important to check vitamin D levels before taking a supplement and that the nutrient’s role in reducing belly fat and controlling cortisol levels “should be approached with realistic expectations.”

He also said that vitamin D supplementation is complex and its effectiveness depends on many factors, including the type of medication, the dose and certain characteristics of the person taking it, such as age and exposure to the sun. . Therefore, he recommends seeking professional advice before taking vitamin D.

Nutritionist Charlotte Watts said Newsweek that TikTok video creators promoting vitamin D supplements to fix cortisol reduce complex science to misleading sound bites.

“They talk about abdominal fat or visceral fat, which has many, many, many details about its accumulation,” Watts said. “There are a lot of nutrients involved … and a lot of the problem is sugar in the food.”

He added that nutrients alone cannot “fix” the problem in this way: “You will not suddenly get a flat stomach.”

For Watts, part of the problem with this approach is the expectation surrounding flat bellies.

“Let’s be clear, if you’re a woman in particular – and other body types in men -[belly pouches are] which is not right,” he said. “I think that is very important.

“We have this culture of obsessing over a flat stomach, which really means a lot of people are doing a lot of damage to themselves: overworking and having such a self-judgmental relationship. and the body. This is a big thing.”

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