Reducing Abdominal Fat Boosts Cardiovascular Performance

People who are overweight can improve the expansion capability of their arteries and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by losing weight, especially in the belly area, on either a low-fat or low-carb diet, a U.S. study has found. For the study, 60 men and women who weighed an average of 215 pounds went on either a low-fat or low-carb diet for six months. Those on the low-carb diet lost an average of 28.9 pounds; those on the low-fat diet lost an average of 18.9 pounds. The researchers then measured arterial constriction after weight loss, finding that the amount of improvement in blood vessels was directly linked to how much belly fat was lost, regardless of the diet they were on.