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A distended stomach is one of the health problems that is sometimes not taken seriously. In fact, apart from disturbing your appearance, a distended stomach can also cause various health problems in the future. One of the causes of a distended stomach is an inadequate diet. Here are some types of foods that can cause a distended stomach:
Processed grains (refined grain)
A study shows those who follow a weight loss program by eating foods that come from whole grains or whole grains more experienced a decrease in the amount of fat from the abdominal area when compared with those who ate plain bread and white rice. Those who also consume whole grains turns out to have decreased levels C-reactive protein (CRP) is quite significant. CRP is an indicator of inflammation in the body and is associated with heart disease.
Whole grain is all kinds of grains (such as rice, wheat, barley) that have not been processed. Food that comes from whole grains still contains various types of vitamins, minerals, and complete fiber. Whole grain which has been processed and processed is called refined grain. This processing is done to increase the storage capacity of grain. Sample product refined grain is white rice and flour.
Research conducted by Pennsylvania State University divided 50 obese adults into two groups. One group was asked to consume the product whole grains while other groups were asked not to consume whole grains at all. After 12 weeks, the group that consumed whole grains experienced a weight loss of up to 3.6 kg. While the group that did not consume whole grains experienced an average weight loss of 5 kg. But the most significant reduction in belly fat occurred in those who consumed it whole grains although total weight loss was more prevalent in the group consuming refined grains. CRP value in the consuming group whole grains also fell by 38%, while there was no decrease in CRP rates in the other groups.
Margarine
The types of fat that cause belly fat are the type of trans fat and saturated fat. Trans fat is a byproduct of processing oil from liquid to solid form, for example, margarine. Trans fat is commonly used in the fast food and snack food industry because it can increase the shelf life of food. Even though trans fats are now starting to be banned from being in food, there is nothing wrong with checking the food labels on the packaged foods you consume. Apart from margarine, shortening also contain trans fats. Be careful if any of these components are in food packaging.
High fat foods
Saturated fats are common in oils, meats, and their preparations. You can consume saturated fat but should be limited to no more than 5-6% of your total daily calorie needs. If it is excessive, it will increase the amount of fat in the body, including making your stomach bloated. Processed meats (such as sausages, nuggets, ham) usually tend to be high in saturated fat. Fast food also has a lot of saturated fat, especially because most of them are processed by frying or frying deep fried.
Types of fat that are good for the body are unsaturated fats, many are found in olive oil, salmon, and nuts. You can use olive oil as an alternative for cooking and switch to eating seafood such as fish instead of eating red meat and processed meat.
Milk
Depending on the type, milk can contribute to the formation of belly fat. Types of milk that contain lots of fat such as whole milk can trigger the accumulation of fat so that it makes the stomach distended. Besides whole milk sweetened condensed milk can also cause a distended stomach because of its high sugar content. If you want to consume milk, choose the type of low-fat or non-fat milk. You can also change the type of milk you drink to milk made from nuts such as soy milk, almond milk, or cashew milk.
Soda
Soda consumption is associated with an increase in waist circumference, which means that the more and more often you consume soda, the greater the risk of having a bloated stomach. In addition to a distended stomach, consumption of soda is also associated with the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and health problems with teeth (such as cavities and porous teeth). But if you then replace the soda you usually drink with a type of diet soda, it does not mean that you are free from the risk of disease. A study shows that those who consume diet soda tend to have a larger waist circumference than those who consume regular soda. The risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome was also higher in those who consumed diet soda when compared to those who did not consume any soda.
