A study recently conducted by the Doctors at the MayoClinic revealed that as little as 9 pounds of additional fat around the waistline (otherwise known as visceral fat), will impair blood flow to the entire body. Good blood flow is not only important for cardiological implications, but is vital to literally every tissue in the body. All nutrition, oxygen, lymphatics, hormonal signals, and immune protection is delivered to our cells through the blood.
Healthy volunteers were tasked to either gain weight or maintain weight. At the end of only 8 weeks, researchers found that those who gained weight mostly in their abdomen had impaired regulation of blood flow through their arm arteries due to endothelial dysfunction. Excessive increase in visceral fat caused the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels to lose their ability to expand and contract.Remember the old high school experiment of breathing through a straw? Makes it hard to function, right? Now apply the same concept to your cells.
The good news is that as soon as the volunteers lost the weight, the functioning of their cells and blood flow returned to normal. The results of this study show just how important it is to maintain a healthy weight. It only takes a moderate increase in bellyfat to make significant and measurable changes in blood flow, affecting the role of every organ and cell in the body. No wonder why people feel like a new person after losing weight – all parts of themselves are finally receiving the nourishment and communication they need to function properly!
Endothelial cell dysfunction is completely reversible. If you think you are at risk, please give you and your body the gift of life back. We know it can be a challenge to make the changes necessary; we are here to help.
