Shed the Pounds When You Increase Fiber Intake

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

If you’re already eating well and exercising but still having trouble keeping your weight down, you may want to increase your fiber intake. A recent study has found that soluble fiber may help reduce body weight and help you feel full.

The study was conducted in China by the company Roquette and was published in the September 2011 issue of the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition.

Participants in the study included 120 overweight Chinese adult men who were randomly assigned to consume either 8.5 oz of fruit juice supplemented with 17 g of Nutriose (a soluble fiber product) or a placebo consisting of fruit juice and maltodextrin twice a day.

After 12 weeks, the Nutriose group showed an average loss of 3.5 lbs, an average Body Mass Index (BMI) loss of 0.5 kg/m2, and an average loss of 0.3% of their body fat percentage when compared to the control group.

The scientists believe that the fiber slows down the emptying of the stomach, making the participants feel full for a longer period of time. They also point out that fiber ferments in the colon, which could affect satiety as a result of the release of short chain fatty acids and gut peptides.

Previous studies have linked fiber consumption with lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol as well as regulating blood sugar for people with diabetes. Soluble fiber can be found naturally in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium. It can also be found in supplement form.