Dietary fiber and weight loss

Fiber is an essential part of your diet and provides many health benefits to your body. Nutrition with high fiber content can also help you lose weight. What are the sources of fiber? Does eating fiber have side effects? What is the risk of overdose of fiber?

Foods rich in fiber include: vegetables, salads, fruits, cereals and groats. High-processed foods contain very little fiber. Eating fiber causes us to feel satiated for a long time. In addition, eating fiber rich foods requires longer and more accurate chewing. Chewing action activates the release of saliva and gastric juices. Thanks to this, the food is thoroughly digested and the hunger is satisfied for a longer period of time.

What is dietary fiber?

Fiber is a plant component that is not digestible. The soluble fiber is fermented in the colon and is released as gases and other by-products. Insoluble fiber absorbs water while traveling through the digestive tract, which facilitates defecation.

Fiber requirement

According to scientific data, an adult needs about 18 grams of dietary fiber a day. Dieticians recommend larger amounts. For maximum health benefits women should eat at least 25 grams of fiber per day. The minimum amount for men is 38 grams per day.

As with everything else, fiber intake also needs to be modest. Fiber has a positive effect. However, too much fiber in the diet can have negative effects. Properly balanced diet will provide enough fiber and in that case there is no need to support dietary supplements.

Health benefits of fiber

• Prevents constipation.
• Prevents the development of colon cancer.
• Preserves the health of the digestive system.
• Reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as hyperlipidemia and hypertension.
• Increases the feeling of satiety, thus helps in weight loss.
• Regulates glucose tolerance.
• Increases cell sensitivity to insulin.

Dietary fiber alone does not repair overweight problems. To effectively lose weight, you should approach the problem comprehensively. Physical exercise, proper diet and calorie control are very important factors to consider. Patience and systematic use of recommendations will certainly lead to success.