Fiber to Lose Belly Fat
Metabolic Health
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How Eating Fiber Can Help You Lose Belly Fat

One of the most difficult types of fat to lose is belly fat. Belly fat is stubborn fat that accumulates around your stomach and is extremely unhealthy. Belly fat is one of the leading causes when it comes to developing health issues such as high cholesterol, high bp, diabetes and heart disease. Even though belly fat is extremely unhealthy, belly fat can be burned by following simple habits and rules. Consuming fiber rich foods or fiber supplements for weight loss on a regular basis is a sure shot way of keeping belly fat in check and even reducing it. For even better results, you can lose stubborn belly fat by consuming soluble fiber. Before taking fiber supplements for weight loss, consult a nutritionist to make sure it suits your body. 

Which Type Of Fiber Can Help You Lose Belly Fat?

Fiber is mainly divided into 2 different types, based on how they affect your body and the digestion process. They are called insoluble and soluble fiber. Insoluble fiber doesn't combine with water and helps bulk up stool for digestion and relieves constipation. Beta-glucan and glucomannan interact with water to produce a thick, gel-like material that controls how fast digested food gets released into the gut. Consuming more soluble fiber may help you shed and avoid belly fat. For example, a 10-gram increase in daily soluble fiber consumption reduced belly fat risk by 3.7%. 

Consuming soluble fiber is great for your health and impacts your digestion in various ways. It has several benefits, let’s have a look. 

Your lower intestine has 100 trillion beneficial microorganisms. These microorganisms are harmless and help humans function better. Humans give a habitat and nourishment for bacteria, which help in producing vitamins and processing waste. Having a broader diversity of gut flora reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and heart disease. Many studies demonstrate that those who eat more soluble fiber have more bacteria and better health overall. People who have a lack of such microorganisms tend to gain weight as their digestion is hampered.

Another way fiber helps reduce belly fat is this:

  • Fiber enters the intestines basically intact since the stomach can't digest it. Gut bacteria breakdown soluble fiber with specialized enzymes and gut microorganisms boost health in this way. 
  • Soluble fiber feeds microorganisms as a prebiotic. 
  • Fermentation breaks down soluble fiber and produces short chain fatty acids.
  • Short-chain fatty acids minimize abdominal fat. Short-chain fatty acids may assist control fat metabolism by boosting fat burning or lowering fat accumulation. 

Soluble fiber also acts as an appetite suppressor without actually harming the body. A smaller appetite ensures that you eat less which in turn helps you lose weight by reducing calorie consumption. There are several ideas that explain how soluble fiber reduces hunger. Soluble fiber regulates appetite-controlling hormones and decreases hunger hormones, including ghrelin, according to some research. It stimulates the synthesis of hormones that make you feel full, such as cholecystokinin, GLP-1, and peptide YY. It also takes time to digest which makes you feel fuller for longer. 

These are the major benefits of consuming soluble fiber, not just for weight loss but for a healthy body, internally and externally. 

How Can I Get More Soluble Fiber In My Diet?

An easy way to reduce weight and get better digestion is by consuming soluble fiber regularly. Here are all the ways by which you can incorporate more soluble fiber into your diet. 

Foods like flaxseeds, sweet potatoes, fruits like apricots and oranges, Brussels sprouts, legumes, and cereals like oatmeal are rich sources of soluble fiber. However, despite the fact that soluble fiber may assist you in reducing the amount of belly fat you carry, it is not a good idea to consume a large quantity of soluble fiber all at once. This may result in unpleasant side effects, including cramping in the stomach, diarrhea, and bloating. It is preferable to gradually raise your dosage over time in order to let your body get more tolerant to the substance. Fiber intake goals for males should be between 30 and 38 grams per day, while fiber intake goals for women should be between 21 and 25 grams per day.

Can Fiber Supplements Help Reduce Belly Fat?

Consuming foods in their complete form is the most effective strategy to increase the amount of soluble fiber in your diet. On the other hand, if you don't think this is possible for you, you may try supplementing with soluble fiber instead. There are several kinds available, such as psyllium husk, glucomannan, and inulin, and there is some evidence to suggest that these may assist you in shedding abdominal fat.

Inulin is a kind of soluble fiber that offers another option. Even though it does not have a particularly thick consistency, it has been connected to a reduction in abdominal fat.

People who were at risk of developing type 2 diabetes participated in a trial that lasted for 18 weeks and gave them either inulin or cellulose (an insoluble fiber) as a supplement. During the first nine weeks, both groups were provided with dietary counseling and instructed to adhere to a weight reduction regimen.

Although further study is required before definitive claims can be made, it seems that consuming fiber supplements is a good method for reducing the amount of fat stored in the abdominal region.

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Bottomline

When it comes to developing health difficulties such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease, belly fat is one of the primary culprits. Regularly consuming fiber-rich meals or fiber supplements for weight reduction is a solid strategy to keep belly fat at bay. Soluble fiber suppresses hunger without causing damage to the body. Soluble fiber influences appetite-controlling hormones by decreasing hunger hormones such as ghrelin and boosts the production of hormones that make you feel full, such as cholecystokinin, GLP-1, and peptide YY.

A majority of fruits veggies are high in nutrients and fiber making them ideal to consume. Male fiber consumption should be between 30 and 38 grams per day. Women should aim for between 21 and 25 grams each day. Fiber supplements may help decrease belly fat, according to some studies.

FAQS

What is the best fiber to lose belly fat?

When combined with water, soluble fiber supplements for weight loss like beta-glucan and glucomannan produce a thick, gel-like material that slows down the rate at which the stomach empties its contents of digested food into the intestines. Consuming a greater quantity of soluble fiber may assist in the loss of abdominal fat as well as the prevention of its future accumulation around your waist.

Which fruits have high fiber?

A lot of fruits and vegetables are packed with nutrients and high fiber content. Some of the fruits that have a high fiber content are apples, raspberries, bananas, pear, oranges, blackberries and dry fruits. 

Which vegetable has the most fiber?

Most vegetables are packed with nutrients and are rich sources of fiber. Vegetables that have the most fiber are green peas, broccoli, sprouts, cauliflower and carrots. 

References

  • https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fiber-and-belly-fat#TOC_TITLE_HDR_7
  • https://getbellway.com/blogs/digestive-wellness/want-to-lose-belly-fat-try-taking-fiber

Disclaimer

This website's content is provided only for educational reasons and is not meant to be a replacement for professional medical advice. Due to individual differences, the reader should contact their physician to decide whether the material is applicable to their case.