The benefits of dietary fiber just keep on coming! An article published in the November 2009 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition studied the relationship between dietary fiber intake and visceral adiposity (belly fat). The researchers studied 85 overweigth Latino boys and girls for a period of two years and found that:
- Participants who had decreased their fiber intake over the study period experienced a 21% increase in belly fat
- Participants who had increased their fiber intake over the study period experienced a 4% decrease in belly fat
The lead investigator on the study was Dr. Jaimie N. Davis from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. In a Reuters news article on the published results, Dr. Davis confirmed what nutrition professionals are constantly reminding the public: not all fiber is created equal. "Just because it says 'whole wheat' or 'multigrain' doesn't mean it's a good source of fiber," Dr. Davis explained. "People think if it's brown, if it's wheat, it's good, but not necessarily."
The best advice remains: Deal your belly fat a blow by reading the Nutrition Facts panel and Ingredient Lists for the real dish on dietary fiber.
