Hormonal
Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) accumulation exacerbates insulin resistance and increases fasting blood glucose and HbA1c, whereas brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation improves glucose regulation and insulin sensitivity.
Focus on reducing visceral fat (belly fat) rather than just total body weight. Strategies that activate brown fat (like cold exposure or specific exercises) or reduce visceral fat (through diet/exercise) are more effective for blood sugar control than general weight loss alone.
Visceral fat accumulation was found to exacerbate insulin resistance, whereas BAT activation showed a beneficial effect on glucose regulation.
Why this rating
The paper is a literature review citing multiple human clinical studies (e.g., Look AHEAD, various RCTs on functional foods) and mechanistic studies.
Source
Literature Review on the Effects of Functional Food Ingredients for Blood Glucose and Body Fat Reduction on Glycemic Control in Insulin Resistance and Diabetes
Nohyeon Kim et al. · Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition · 2025
DOI 10.3746/jkfn.2025.54.10.805
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