Avoid These Belly-Bulging Foods

Just in time for summer, researchers are studying the best way to stop hiding your six-pack under belly fat. Diets lower in carbs may zap abdominal fat better than high-carb diets, according to a new study presented earlier this month at the annual Endocrine Society Meeting and Expo in Boston.

Study subjects followed either a low-carb or high-carb diet. Lower-carb dieters consumed 43 percent of their calories from carbohydrates and 39 percent from fat—roughly the number of carbs in the Zone diet. On the other hand, the high-carb group consumed 55 percent of its calories from carbs and 27 percent from fat. (The remaining 18 percent was protein, for both groups.)

Low Carb = Less Stomach Fat

Eight weeks later, those in the low-carb group had 11 percent less stomach fat—the kind that’s worse for your heart—than those who ate the other diet, even without cutting calories or losing weight. (Note: They didn’t gain more muscle.)

(Read More: Low-Carb Diets Are Better for Weight Loss.)

 Studies show abdominal fat is more strongly linked to high blood pressure, inflammation, and hardened arteries than overall body fat. All fat  releases hormones and other compounds that affect  body function, but fat packed around the organs seems to ooze more bad-for-you chemicals—and since it’s sitting right next to important ones like your stomach and liver, its effects may be more direct.  (Read more: The Belly Fat Crisis.)

The assumed secret to the diet’s fat-melting power? Cutting carbs reduced the amount of insulin in the blood. And since insulin keeps muscles from using fat as fuel, we burn off more flab when there’s less of it, explains study author Laura Lee Goree, M.S., R.D., L.D.

For Max Fat Loss, Cut Carbs and Calories

The benefits of low-carb diets were even more pronounced when people started cutting calories. When both groups cut 1,000 calories per day, lower-carb dieters lost an average of 12 pounds and standard dieters lost 9 pounds. But the low-carb group also had about 4 percent less body fat than the other group by the end of the study.

The key to lean: Cut carbs and increase protein, says Alan Aragon, M.S. and Men’s Health nutrition advisor. Most research has been done on overweight and sedentary people, but cutting carbs seems to melt fat. And as you know, protein builds muscle.

That said, your carb consumption depends on your activity level. “If you’re reasonably active, your carb needs may be higher, even if you’re trying to get lean,” says Aragon. “But if you’re sedentary, a lower-carb, higher-fat diet is probably better because you won’t burn the carbs through exercise.”

Just make sure your carbs are high-quality—skip processed foods and choose whole grains and vegetables. As for protein, aim for one to two grams of protein per pound of your target weight daily. Try these Tasty Substitutions for Carbs to shave calories while squeezing in more protein and nutrients.

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