Increasing your fiber intake can reduce belly fat you have been trying to get rid of!
A new study, published in the journal Obesity, found that increasing fiber, especially soluble fiber (the type that slows glucose absorption from your gut into your blood stream) reduces visceral belly fat. Soluble fiber is found in foods such as apples, legumes, oatmeal, artichokes, and almonds.
Increasing fiber, especially soluble fiber (the type that slows glucose absorption from gut into your blood stream) reduces visceral belly fat.
For every 10 gram increase in daily soluble fiber, belly fat was reduced by approximately 3.7 percent over five years. The five year study tracked the diets and frequency of exercise of African and Hispanic Americans who have a higher risk of diabetes and accumulating visceral fat. Abdominal fat was tracked with CT(computerized tomography) scans of the abdomen.
Dr. Stengler’s View:
Visceral abdominal fat, also known as central obesity, is more dangerous than superficial body fat. It is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and lipid imbalances. This study shows the importance of soluble fiber in reducing this deadly fat accumulation. I should point out that the study also found that those who engaged in moderate exercise had a 7.4% reduced rate of visceral fat accumulation.
What a powerful combination to fight abdominal fat—soluble fiber and exercise.
In addition to diet changes to reduce belly fat, I recommend fiber supplementation to my patients to achieve higher soluble fiber. One that I commonly use is PGX, a blend of soluble fibers studied at the University of Toronto shown to reduce appetite and blood glucose levels.
PGX absorbs hundreds of times its weight in water over 1 to 2 hours and it expands in the digestive tract creating a highly viscous (thick) gelatinous material. Once hydrated, this complex creates a lasting sense of fullness and it greatly stabilizes blood sugar and appetite hormones.
- • Blocks carbohydrate absorption
- • Helps to normalize blood glucose levels – preventing blood sugar spikes and lows
- • Provides effective weight management without suffering from hunger pangs
- • Support for healthy weight loss
Reference: Hairston KG, Vitolins MZ, Norris JM, Anderson AM, Hanley AJ, Wagenknecht LE. Lifestyle Factors and 5-Year Abdominal Fat Accumulation in a Minority Cohort: The IRAS Family Study. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011 Jun 16. doi: 10.1038/oby.2011.171. [Epub ahead of print]
Dr. Mark Stengler – News and trusted advice in cutting-edge holistic and nutritional medicine. Visit blog.markstengler.com for more of his articles.
