Much of the more recent buzz about fiber relates to its potential role in facilitating weight loss. Research suggests that high-fibre diets are linked to lower body weight through the effects of fibre on satiety and the digestive tract.
High Fiber Foods Weight Loss - Fiber and Satiety
Foods high in dietary fibre are considered to be more satiating than low-fibre foods. Satiety is a feeling of fullness after eating that suppresses appetite and inhibits the desire to eat more. Fibre is thought to affect satiety through several different mechanisms in the gastrointestinal tract. Certain fibres, namely those that are soluble in water and form viscous solutions, bulk up foods, slow gastric emptying, and are digested more slowly. While foods high in fibre enhance satiety, research results on the effects of fibre alone and high-fibre foods on appetite and calorie intake are inconsistent. Fibre-containing foods may be more satiating than foods with added fibres – one study found people cut calories more after eating a whole apple than after getting the same calories and fibre from apple sauce or fibre-fortified apple juice.
Fibre and Weight
Foods rich in fibre help lower calorie intake by displacing higher calorie foods, requiring more chewing and therefore taking longer to eat, and affecting absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. However, evidence supporting the relationship between dietary fibre and obesity is somewhat limited. In the Nurses’ Health Study, women whose diets were highest in fibre had lower body weights.
A 2009 prospective cohort study investigated the role of fibre consumption in the prevention of weight gain in a group of 252 women. Over the 20-month study period, participants lost 0.5 lb for each additional gram of fibre consumed per 1,000 calories and gained 0.5 lb on average for every 1 gram reduction in fibre. In a 2010 study, total fibre and cereal fibre intake were inversely associated with weight loss and waist circumference. These studies support a beneficial role for dietary fibre in general and cereal fibre in particular in the prevention of weight gain; however more research is needed to confirm these findings.
Bottom Line
While a large body of consistent data supports the role of dietary fibre in weight management, more studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms by which fibre may help people feel fuller, eat less, and lose weight. Eating fibre-rich foods – legumes, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits continues to be a sound practice for weight management and overall health.
http://www.weightwatchers.co.uk/util/art/index_art.aspx?art_id=55171&tabnum=1&sc=808&subnav=In+the+Spotlight High Fiber Foods Weight Loss
Foods high in dietary fibre are considered to be more satiating than low-fibre foods. Satiety is a feeling of fullness after eating that suppresses appetite and inhibits the desire to eat more. Fibre is thought to affect satiety through several different mechanisms in the gastrointestinal tract. Certain fibres, namely those that are soluble in water and form viscous solutions, bulk up foods, slow gastric emptying, and are digested more slowly. While foods high in fibre enhance satiety, research results on the effects of fibre alone and high-fibre foods on appetite and calorie intake are inconsistent. Fibre-containing foods may be more satiating than foods with added fibres – one study found people cut calories more after eating a whole apple than after getting the same calories and fibre from apple sauce or fibre-fortified apple juice.
Fibre and Weight
Foods rich in fibre help lower calorie intake by displacing higher calorie foods, requiring more chewing and therefore taking longer to eat, and affecting absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. However, evidence supporting the relationship between dietary fibre and obesity is somewhat limited. In the Nurses’ Health Study, women whose diets were highest in fibre had lower body weights.
A 2009 prospective cohort study investigated the role of fibre consumption in the prevention of weight gain in a group of 252 women. Over the 20-month study period, participants lost 0.5 lb for each additional gram of fibre consumed per 1,000 calories and gained 0.5 lb on average for every 1 gram reduction in fibre. In a 2010 study, total fibre and cereal fibre intake were inversely associated with weight loss and waist circumference. These studies support a beneficial role for dietary fibre in general and cereal fibre in particular in the prevention of weight gain; however more research is needed to confirm these findings.
Bottom Line
While a large body of consistent data supports the role of dietary fibre in weight management, more studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms by which fibre may help people feel fuller, eat less, and lose weight. Eating fibre-rich foods – legumes, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits continues to be a sound practice for weight management and overall health.
http://www.weightwatchers.co.uk/util/art/index_art.aspx?art_id=55171&tabnum=1&sc=808&subnav=In+the+Spotlight High Fiber Foods Weight Loss
