脂肪是人体主要构成部件之一，亦是能量的主要来源。因此，我们在日常生活中必须摄入适量的脂肪，以满足人体代谢的需要。人体的脂肪主要分布于皮下和内脏周围，已知过多的脂肪沉积于腰部和内脏器官周围有害于人类的健康。近年来，如何减少沉积于腰部和内脏周围的脂肪已成为人们争相研究的热点之一。

日前，地处美国北卡罗莱纳州中部的威克森林大学医学中心的研究人员公布了他们为期5年，就如何减少内脏脂肪的研究资料。结果表明5年间每天进食约 10克可溶性纤维者（注：相当于每天吃2个小苹果、一杯绿豆和一杯半斑豆），内脏脂肪减少约4％；5年间每周进行2～4次30分钟的中等强度有氧运动可使内脏脂肪减少约7.4％。

据此，专家们建议人们在日常生活中应坚持进行中等强度的有氧运动（散步、慢跑和游泳等）和摄入大量的可溶性纤维（水果与蔬菜），以有利于减少内脏脂肪和控制体重，进而改善自我的健康状况和/或延缓衰老。

　　更多资讯，请参阅原文：

Soluble Fiber Appears Key to Trimming 'Bad Fat'

For every 10-gram daily increase, belly fat cut by nearly 4 percent over five years, researchers say

FRIDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- Increasing daily soluble fiber intake may help you lose dangerous visceral fat, which produces hormones and other substances linked to a host of chronic diseases, according to a new study.

Unlike the subcutaneous fat found just under the skin, visceral fat is located deep in the belly and wraps around a person's vital organs. Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found the way to hone in on this deep belly fat is to get moderate amounts of regular exercise and to eat more soluble fiber from vegetables, fruits and beans.

"We know that a higher rate of visceral fat is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes and fatty liver disease," said the study's lead researcher, Dr. Kristen Hairston, assistant professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest Baptist in a news release from the medical center. "Our study found that making a few simple changes can have a big health impact."

Researchers analyzed 1,114 black and Hispanic Americans since those populations are at higher risk for high levels of visceral fat as well as developing high blood pressure and diabetes. The study, published in the June 16 online issue of the journal Obesity, examined whether certain lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise habits, were associated with a change in the participants' belly fat over a period of five years.

Using CT scans to measure subcutaneous and visceral fat, researchers found that increased intake of soluble fiber was associated with a reduction in belly fat, but not subcutaneous fat.

In fact, for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber eaten per day, visceral fat was reduced by 3.7 percent over five years. In addition, regular moderate exercise (30 minutes of vigorous exercise two to four times per week) resulted in a 7.4 percent reduction over the same time period.

So what exactly does a person need to eat to get 10-grams of soluble fiber each day? The researchers noted this could be achieved by eating two small apples, one cup of green peas and one-half cup of pinto beans daily.

The study pointed out, however, that more research is needed to explain the link between soluble fiber intake and reductions in visceral fat. "There is mounting evidence that eating more soluble fiber and increasing exercise reduces visceral or belly fat, although we still don't know how it works," said Hairston.

"Although the fiber-obesity relationship has been extensively studied, the relationship between fiber and specific fat deposits has not," Hairston added. "Our study is valuable because it provides specific information on how dietary fiber, especially soluble fiber, may affect weight accumulation through abdominal fat deposits."

SOURCE: Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, news release, June 27, 2011.