What Is Visceral Fat?

When most people think of body fat, they picture the soft tissue beneath the skin (subcutaneous fat). But visceral fat is much more dangerous. It’s the fat that wraps around your internal organs — the liver, pancreas, and intestines — and acts like a metabolic hormone factory, releasing inflammatory chemicals that affect every system in your body.

At Sheen Vein (Aesthetics and Functional Medicine) in St. Louis, we often tell patients:

“It’s not what you see in the mirror — it’s what you don’t see that matters most.”

Why Visceral Fat Is So Dangerous

Visceral fat increases the risk of:

• Heart disease and stroke
• Insulin resistance and prediabetes
• High blood pressure
• Chronic inflammation that damages arteries

This type of fat releases cytokines that make your blood vessels stiff and your liver overproduce cholesterol. That’s why many patients with “normal” weight still develop metabolic problems.

How It Impacts Vascular Health

Inflammation from visceral fat directly injures the endothelium — the delicate lining of your blood vessels. Over time, this leads to:

• Plaque buildup (atherosclerosis)
• Poor circulation
• Leg swelling and venous disease

We frequently see this connection in patients visiting our Vein and Circulation Center in St. Louis.

How to Measure Visceral Fat

You can’t always see visceral fat, but there are ways to estimate it:

• Waist circumference over 35 inches (women) or 40 inches (men)
• Body composition scans or InBody analysis
• Elevated triglycerides, fasting glucose, or C-reactive protein on lab work

Learn more about testing options on our Functional Medicine Diagnostics page.

Reducing Visceral Fat Naturally

1. Lower refined carbohydrates and sugars
2. Increase protein and omega-3 intake
3. Prioritize restorative sleep
4. Incorporate strength training and intermittent movement
5. Consider targeted red light therapy with PEMF, which supports mitochondrial fat metabolism

The Takeaway

Visceral fat silently fuels disease, but it’s also highly reversible. Through our Functional Medicine Metabolic Programs, we help St. Louis patients restore healthy body composition and protect long-term cardiovascular and vascular health.

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