How Does Fiber Help You Lose Weight?

Does fiber help in weight loss? This is a common question with many people. The answer to that is fiber can really assist in weight loss but too much of it can cause digestive problems and mineral deficiencies within the body. You should eat recommended amount of fiber as part of a healthy diet but avoid excesses in order to prevent unwanted side effects. Anything done in excess can prove harmful to your health.

According to The National Academy of Sciences Food and Nutrition Board, adult men should consume around 30 to 38 grams of fiber everyday while women should consume between 12 to 28 grams per day. Anything above that would be considered as excess. Sadly most adults consume very less quantity, something in the range of 8 to 14 grams per day. If you are not used to eating fiber, you should increase its intake gradually. Rapid increase of fiber consumption can result in gas or diarrhea.

An important thing to remember is that you should drink plenty of fluids when you increase fiber intake. Though fiber helps in bowel movements, without adequate fluids it may have opposite effect and can cause constipation.

Fiber is the indigestible part of plant-based foods such as vegetables, grains or fruits. It passes through our digestive tract unchanged and does not provide calories or nutrition, yet it is healthy for us as it keeps our bowel movements regular, makes us feel full sooner so that we can avoid overeating and provides other health benefits.

When people are trying to lose weight, they have to control their eating habits. They have to try and eat less than they normally do and also avoid eating in between meals. Fiber can help a great deal in this regard. First of all, it will make you feel full sooner than other foods. Due to this you are likely to eat less. It will also keep you feeling full for longer time so that you can avoid the urge to eat in between meals. When you can keep your hunger at bay, it would be a major victory while trying to lose weight.

How to Increase Fiber Consumption:

To increase fiber consumption, eat whole and natural foods and avoid processed foods. Some good sources of fiber are:

Whole grains - oats, wheat, barley

Legumes - dry beans, peas, lentils

Brown rice

Fruits and vegetables

Meat and other dairy products do not have any fiber content while refined grains have most of their fiber removed.

Precautions:

As mentioned earlier, you should slowly add more fiber to your diet. At the same time, drink lot of water when you are on a high fiber diet. Stay within the recommended limits and avoid excesses so that you do not run into other health problems.

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