ABSTRACT
Abdominal obesity has been reported to be more closely related to cardiometabolic risk than excess adiposity per se. Specifically, high abdominal fat accumulation, especially in the visceral depot, is closely linked to metabolic abnormalities such as insulin resistance and hypertriglyceridemia, whereas for a similar body fat mass, subcutaneous fat accretion seems to confer a neutral/protective effect. Mechanisms regulating body fat distribution are complex and remain poorly understood. We reviewed the potential contribution of dietary components 124on body fat distribution independent of body weight and total adiposity. Types and amounts of fat, carbohydrates and glycemic load, proteins, as well as specific food components with bioactive functions that could affect fat accretion were examined in detail. According to available literature, there is no concrete evidence that a single nutrient directly modulates visceral fat accretion and, by extension, body fat distribution. Most available studies on diet and body fat distribution seem to point toward a nonspecific effect on total fat accumulation. Yet, some studies identified dietary components potentially linked to a detrimental fat accretion pattern (increased visceral/abdominal fat or waist circumference), including fructose, especially in the form of sugar-sweetened beverages, trans fatty acids, as well as high alcohol intake and refined/fast-food diets.
