Does cortisol cause belly fat?

Since abdominal fat also tends to increase cortisol levels, this can lead to a vicious and unhealthy cycle, especially in women. There is little doubt that increased stress and/or cortisol can cause increased abdominal fat and weight gain.

stress.org - Stress, Cortisol and Abdominal Fat - The American Institute of Stress

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Stress, Cortisol and Abdominal Fat

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on worthless supplements that claim to promote weight loss by reducing stress and/or cortisol. Consumers can be easily confused since advertisements cite reliable references that confirm and explain how increased stress or cortisol can increase abdominal fat deposits. For example, Cushing’s syndrome is characterized by a persistent increase in cortisol levels and abdominal obesity. But when the cause of the elevated cortisol is removed, the excess abdominal fat deposits also disappear. Chronically stressed primates that have increased cortisol also develop abdominal obesity and laboratory studies confirm a clear correlation between cortisol levels and the deposition of deep abdominal fat. A study of stressed out middle-aged Swedish men similarly showed that those with the highest cortisol levels also had the biggest beer bellies. Stress can also contribute to “middle aged spread” because many such individuals find that chocolates, cookies candies, chips and other high fat, high carbohydrate foods relieve their anxiety. Male and female hormones normally protect against the deposition of abdominal fat but their levels start to decline after age 40. Most incoming college freshman put on extra pounds their first year, and as noted in prior Newsletters, this so-called “Freshman 15” is also due to stress. One study showed that a sample of university women gained weight 36 times faster than aged matched controls that did not attend college. In addition to being unsightly, stress induced abdominal fat secretes large amounts of inflammatory molecules that contribute to diabetes, insulin resistance and heart attacks. How many extra pounds you are carrying around may not be as important as where that excess weight is located. People with apple shaped figures are more susceptible to these disorders as well as certain cancers compared to those with pear shapes who are just as overweight due to fatty hips and buttocks. In fact, there is good evidence that increased fat in these locations may be associated with a decreased risk for coronary disease and atherosclerosis. Since abdominal fat also tends to increase cortisol levels, this can lead to a vicious and unhealthy cycle, especially in women. There is little doubt that increased stress and/or cortisol can cause increased abdominal fat and weight gain. However, there is absolutely no proof that any nutritional supplement reduces stress, cortisol or the deposition of abdominal fat. The problem is that consumers are confused because studies in respected medical journals such as those noted below are often cited to provide scientific support, even though they have nothing to do with these products.

References:

Health And Stress Newsletter #6 2000, # 5 2003, #5 2004, Eppel ES. McEwen B, Seeman T, et al. Stress and Body Shape: Stress-Induced Cortisol Secretion Is Consistently Greater Among Women With Central Fat. Psychosom Med, 2000;62:623-632. Yong Q. Takahashi N. Hileman SM, et al. Adiponectin Acts in the Brain to Decrease Body Weight. Nat Med 2004; 10(5):524-529.

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Are fried eggs healthy?

Just like eggs cooked in other ways, fried eggs are rich in nutrients and can contribute towards a healthy diet when eaten as part of a balanced meal.

egginfo.co.uk - Fried egg nutrition | Egg Recipes – British Lion Eggs - Egg info

Just like eggs cooked in other ways, fried eggs are rich in nutrients and can contribute towards a healthy diet when eaten as part of a balanced meal. However, the type of fat used in the pan is important. Choose healthier oils rich in monounsaturates, such as rapeseed or olive oil, or sunflower oil, which is rich in polyunsaturated fats but use them sparingly as the more fat you use, the more calories you are adding. For the least amount of fat, try using a non-stick pan and a spray-oil. Fortunately eggs do not absorb as much fat as some other foods when fried. You can also remove some of the fat by draining them from the pan with a spatula and blotting them on kitchen paper to absorb excess fat. The calorie value of a large egg fried will vary - depending how much fat you have used and whether or not you have drained it but it might range from about 85 calories if only using a little spray-oil to about 120 calories if frying in a few tablespoons of oil and not draining it. Typical nutritional values per large egg fried in a small amount of oil:

Energy 110kcals

Protein 8.2g

Total fat 8.9g

Saturated fat 1.9g

Salt 0.2g

If you use medium rather than large eggs, calories and other nutritional values will be slightly lower.

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