Abdominal fat is said to be more dangerous than fat in other parts of your body. It’s also the fat most likely to motivate us to diet. Thousands of sit ups and crunches isn’t the best way to attack belly fat, but fortified orange juice can provide some assistance. That’s what a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests.
Researchers put 171 participants on one of two reduced calorie diets for 16 weeks. One group drank three 240 mL glasses of orange juice fortified with 350 mg of calcium and 100 IU vitamin D every day, while the other group didn’t get any fortified foods. Both groups lost the same amount of weight on average: about 4½ pounds. But belly fat was reduced significantly in the fortified orange juice group.

True Strength Moment: It didn’t matter much whether these study subjects drank regular or reduced calorie fortified orange juice. Both helped cut more belly fat than dieting alone. This shows the importance of micronutrients in the diet. Vitamins and minerals are only needed in small amounts, but deficiencies can make a big difference. For some tips on abdominal muscle development, check today’s Performance Blog post at ABBperformance.com