Fiber

[Heidi M.Participant]

Can increasing your fiber intake help you lose weight?

[Jen Henager VoParticipant]

Increasing your fiber intake can help an indivdual lose weight by the simple properties of intact fibers. For example different fibers, like insoluble fibers can help increase the transit time of food through your digestive system and lesson the absorbability of nutrients. In a study done by Adam et al on male mice they concluded that “increasing amounts of the soluble fermentable fibre pectin in the diet proportionately decreased food intake, body weight gain and body fat content” (1). This particular study also looked at the different satiety hormone levels, PPY and GLP-1, that increased as soluble fiber increased, concluding that hormones play a vital role in maintaining our body weight and metabolism. In another study done by Moreno et al they found that individuals in a cohert study had a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome when their fiber intake increased (2).
Incorporating more fiber into your diet can also make you feel fuller longer so over eating is decreased. Eating a balanced breakfast with whole grains, fruits, nuts, legumes or complex carbohydrates, in comparison to simple carbohydrates like a doughnut can help lengthen your satiety. To maintain a healthy body weight I would recommend eating a variety of foods with dietary fiber as not all fibers are created equal. In an article posted by eatright.org they recommended fiber for weight loss because “foods rich in fiber such as whole fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains tend to offer plenty of vitamins and minerals without plenty of calories” (3).

References

(1) Adam C, Williams P, Garden K, Thomson L, Ross A. Dose-Dependent Effects of a Soluble Dietary Fibre (Pectin) on Food Intake, Adiposity, Gut Hypertrophy and Gut Satiety Hormone Secretion in Rats. Plos ONE [serial online]. January 2015;10(1):1-14. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed March 7, 2015.

(2) Moreno Franco B, Latre M, Andrés Esteban E, Ordovás J, Casasnovas J, Peñalvo J. Soluble and insoluble dietary fibre intake and risk factors for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease in middle-aged adults: the AWHS cohort. Nutricion Hospitalaria [serial online]. December 2014;30(6):1279-1288. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed March 7, 2015.

(3) Obesity. (2014, February 1). Retrieved March 8, 2015, from http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/weight-loss/overweight-and-obesity/obesity

[Heidi M.Participant]

Thank you for your response on this topic. Research continues to be done on this topic. Currently the American Heart Association recommends 25-30 grams of fiber daily as part of a healthy diet(1). In a study done by Howarth et al. researchers found that fiber may lead to energy regulation by it’s ability to bind water, thereby decreasing the energy to weight ratio in foods(1).The article goes on to explain that foods high in fiber require greater chewing efforts which reduces the rate of ingestion increasing satiety(1). The article explains that soluable fiber delays gastric emptying thus extending the period in which nutrients are absorbed reducing hunger and increasing satiety. Both soluable and insoluable fibers are beneficial to the diet(1).

Reference

(1) Howarth, Nancy C., Edward Saltzman, and Susan B. Roberts. Dietary fiber and weight regulation. Nutrition reviews 2001;59:129-139.

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