Does Icecream Cause Belly Fat?

Consuming an entire pint of ice cream can equate to taking in over 90 grams of added sugar, which, when mostly from sugar, will be 50% fructose, and can contribute to belly fat—especially in tandem with a diet already high in fructose from sugar-sweetened beverages like soda. 5 Your gut health will suffer Shutterstock

While eating ice cream on a regular basis has been known to lead to weight gain, potentially lead to long-term heart disease risk, and even negatively impact our gut microbiome, it isn’t all bad. Ice cream can also bring us some necessary nutrients like calcium, as well as bring us a bit of food-related joy from time to time.

It’s common knowledge that eating ice cream can make you fat. When you eat ice cream, the fat in it melts into your bloodstream, where it’s carried to all parts of your body. The amount of fat that reaches your muscles depends on how much exercise you do after eating it.

If you’re allergic to milk, you can experience stomach pain after eating ice cream. The primary ingredient in ice cream is dairy, which will trigger an immune system reaction.

Not only does a pint of ice cream contain over double the recommended intake of saturated fats, but it can also include double the amount of added sugars. What does that mean for your health? An extensive review in the journal Nutrients found that diets high in saturated fat and sugar can weaken cognitive skills and memory.

The original ice cream diet is based on a book authored by Holly McCord in 2002. The premise is simple: Add ice cream to your daily routine and you’ll lose weight. But the actual diet in practice has little to do with any weight loss benefits associated with ice cream. “This is a calorie-restricted diet,” explains dietitian Jo Bartell.

How many calories are in vanilla ice cream?

Calorie Count. The calories in ice cream per 1/2-cup serving of the vanilla flavor amounts to 137 along with 7.2 grams of fat, of which about 4.5 grams are saturated. The same amount of chocolate ice cream has 143 calories and 7.3 grams of fat, of which 4.5 are saturated.

Many people regularly experience sugar cravings which is one of the reasons it’s so hard to stick to a healthy diet and the daily plan on your calorie counter. Cravings are created by your brain’s need for comfort and pleasure — not for your body’s need for food. If you succumb to the tendency to binge on sugary foods and are tempted …

Because of that, ice cream is definitely a food that makes you gain weight it you eat too much of it.

If you are predisposed to a high waist circumference, you may benefit from an association with weight management and the calcium content in ice cream. Researchers at the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Denmark, found that calcium may have a slimming effect because calcium binds fatty acids in the gastrointestinal tract. Findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2014, suggested this could result in a decrease in the absorption of fat which could lead to weight loss over time.

Because of the calorie and sugar content, regularly eating too much ice cream has side effects that you‘ll notice when you stand on the scale. Instead reserve ice cream as a special treat every once in a while. When you do have ice cream, go for low-fat, fat-free or sugar-free versions, which will help satisfy your desire for something sweet, …

Frozen yogurt sounds healthier than ice cream, and in some cases it might be, but traditional versions contain slightly fewer calories, but even more sugar. A 1/2-cup serving of frozen yogurt contains 110 calories and almost 17 grams of sugar. A 1/2-cup serving of sherbet is a better and lower-calorie option with 107 calories.

How much fat is in ice cream?

Some of the absolute worst pints of ice cream can include upwards of 44 grams of saturated fat — that’s 220 percent of your daily recommended intake! These saturated fats can increase levels of “bad” cholesterol, thus increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Shutterstock. Weight gain isn’t the only thing you should be concerned about when you eat an entire pint of ice cream. When the number on the scale increases, it can mean a number of things. While some are innocuous or even healthy, like water weight or muscle gains, most are related to increases in body fat.

Visceral fat is stored in the belly, near the liver, stomach, and intestines.

And the risks of consuming an entire pint of ice cream will increase if you have existing health issues such as being overweight or obese, have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and more . Read on to discover the terrible side effects of eating a pint of ice cream, and for some more positive news, …

Other studies add that a high intake of fat and saturated fatty acids may negatively affect microbiota richness and diversity— which means your microbiome health suffers. For more about the frozen dessert, make sure you check out The Unhealthiest Ice Cream Pints in America—Ranked!

It can also build up in the arteries, all of which actively increase the risk of serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, and heart disease. Sugar, and fructose in particular, has been identified as a main dietary cause of increased belly fat.

The only problem is that this eating habit can lead to overdoing it on ice cream— and you may experience some negative side effects. While there is likely little long-term damage you can do to your health by consuming an entire pint of ice cream just once—besides feeling lethargic and bloated—there are some health issues you should be aware …

What hormones are responsible for weight gain?

Frequent blood sugar surges are directly responsible for weight gain. “When your blood sugar levels spike, your body secretes insulin, an anabolic hormone that signals the cells to uptake the added sugar and convert it to fat in your cells.”.

Diets with an abundance of potatoes, white bread, white rice and sweet beverages are more likely to lead to insulin resistance, followed by diabetes. Conversely, low-carb diets like Atkins and South Beach tend to be successful, explains Segal, because they limit those carbs that send people’s blood sugar soaring.

Some subjects could eat ice cream without a blood glucose spike ( ice cream image via Shutterstock) Why is it so hard to lose weight? According to a new Weizmann Institute study by Professor Eran Segal and Dr. Eran Elinav, it may be because different people’s bodies respond differently to the same meal, depending on their gut bacteria. …

What is deep fat tissue?

This type of weight gain is referred to as “deep fat tissue,” and it can even lead to some more serious issues, such as heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Where your body ends up storing excess calories as fat depends on your hormones, and some unhealthy foods trigger just the exact right hormonal reaction.

Coffee by itself isn’t bad for your waistline, but if you’re frequently sipping on frozen coffee drinks, then you’ve just met your problem. Most of the time, these high-calorie drinks are packed with sugar and dairy. Plus, a 2017 study published in Public Health found that nearly 70% of coffee drinkers had their cup of Joe with caloric add-ins including sugar and creamers.

And by magical, we don’t mean in a good way . See, one longitudinal Harvard study found that people who ate fries regularly gained more than three pounds of body weight every four years; over the course of the study, the french fry eaters gained 13 pounds of belly flab from fries alone!

Some people see the label “low fat” and think it’s the healthier option. But don’t let the tricky terminology fool you. These muffins and treats are typically loaded up with processed flour, tend to be high in sugar, and can be high in sodium, too. These are all components that add up to packing on the belly fat. No thanks!

It’s not just that they’re crusted with salt, causing mid-level bloat. It’s not even a pure calorie play—there are plenty of more caloric snacks out there. What makes potato chips so epically bad for your belly is not what they have, but what they lack: the ability to make you feel satisfied. A handful of chips can turn into a big empty bag in no time.

So perhaps it’s best not to eat a pint every night . . .

Researchers think diet soda drinkers may overestimate how many calories they’re “saving,” and then overeat. Instead, sip on some white tea. This brew blocks the formation of new fat cells and helps the body break down stored fat, according to a Nutrition & Metabolism study.