Dietary fibre is a part of plant foods that is resistant to digestion and is abundant in fruits, vegetables, legumes and grain based foods. Populations that report higher fibre consumption have, on average, lower levels of excess body fat.
There are two main ways that dietary fibre is thought to assist weight loss and weight control, including:
It fills you up – Fibre-rich foods tend to be more satiating per kilojoule due to their relatively low energy density, which can lead to a reduced energy intake. Fibre increases chewing, which promotes fullness by decreasing the rate of ingestion and increasing gastric juices. That explains why you can wolf down a hamburger with a low fibre bun in seconds flat. A feeling of fullness after eating may also help to prevent grazing in between meals.
It slows down digestion – Fibre increases the viscosity of your diet and slows down gastric emptying. If glucose is released slowly into the blood, there is less need for the sugar- and fat-storing hormone insulin. Over the long-term, this could improve insulin sensitivity and even improve fat oxidation, where your body uses a higher proportion of fat as fuel.
A study that was published in 2009 found that as total fibre intake increased, weight and waist circumference decreased for both men and women.
For each 10 gram per day increase in total fibre intake, there was a 39 gram per year reduction in weight, and a 0.08 centimeter per year reduction in waist circumference.
The effects of total fibre, fibre from cereals and fibre from fruit and vegetables were all studied, with cereal fibre having the greatest impact on weight reduction. While these recorded changes were small, they were statistically significant.
The study authors also noted that previous research supports total dietary fibre’s beneficial role in maintaining a healthy body weight, promoting weight loss and preventing weight gain.
Authors of a review published in 2005 highlighted that increased dietary fibre intakes have been associated with a body weight loss of 1.9 kg over 3.8 months, with greater weight loss in more overweight subjects. Fibre intake was from both whole foods high in dietary fibre and from fibre supplements.
People who go on low-kilojoule or low-carbohydrate diets while attempting to lose weight are also susceptible to low fibre intakes. Follow these tips to make sure there’s enough fibre in your diet:
References available on request