A new year-long study shows that eating 30 grams of fiber daily was almost as effective as sticking to a complex diet. The high-fiber diets resulted in several positive results, including significant weight-loss.
Dr. Yunsheng Ma from UMass shared that a fiber-rich diet is a type of "permissive" dietary plan. Meanwhile, a "restrictive" diet reduces the consumption of things such as saturated fat, according to Fox News.
In an e-mail to Reuters, Ma shared that dietary fiber was selected since it provides medical benefits on many aspects of metabolic syndrome. Some examples include insulin control and glucose homeostasis.
About one-fourth of adults worldwide suffer from metabolic syndrome. This causes symptoms such as high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and a big waistline.
The 240 obese adults who participated in the study were divided into two groups. One group was to eat a minimum 30 grams of fiber daily. The other group adhered to the plan of the American Heart Association (AHA).
The AHA diet requires eating 25-30 grams of fiber each day from foods such as whole grains, beans, and vegetables. People on the diet should also eat fish twice weekly, according to Yahoo. The average fiber intake by Americans is about 15 grams of fiber daily.
After the one-year study, participants in both groups showed several health improvements. They included weight loss, lower blood pressure, and insulin resistance.
Those people on the high-fiber diet lost about two-thirds of the weight of the AHA group. However, there were several other positive health results.
Fiber makes you feel full, and keeps you fuller longer. It is also helpful in treating people with digestion problems.
Ma noted that people should get their fiber from several foods, such as whole grains, fruits, seeds, beans, and nuts. These sources are better than fiber supplements.