Regular readers of Simple Natural Weight Loss know we frequently recommend adding more fresh fruits and vegetables to your daily diet. Besides the vitamins and minerals they contain, many fruits and vegetables are good sources of dietary fiber, and can help you lose weight naturally. The National Institute of Health published this article about fiber:

“Fiber—you know it’s good for you. But if you’re like many Americans, you don’t get enough. In fact, most of us get less than half the recommended amount of fiber each day.

Dietary fiber is found in the plants you eat, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It’s sometimes called bulk or roughage. You’ve probably heard that it can help with digestion. So it may seem odd that fiber is a substance that your body can’t digest. It passes through your digestive system practically unchanged.

‘You might think that if it’s not digestible then it’s of no value. But there’s no question that higher intake of fiber from all food sources is beneficial,’ says Dr. Joanne Slavin, a nutrition scientist at the University of Minnesota.

Fiber can relieve constipation and normalize your bowel movements. Some studies suggest that high-fiber diets might also help with weight loss and reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer…

…Weight loss is another area where fiber might help. High-fiber foods generally make you feel fuller for longer. Fiber adds bulk but few calories. ‘In studies where people are put on different types of diets, those on the high-fiber diets typically eat about 10% fewer calories,’  says Slavin. Other large studies have found that people with high fiber intake tend to weigh less.”

There are many foods on the market that promote themselves as “healthy” because they have added fiber.  But according to the National Institute of Health: “These fiber-fortified products include yogurts, ice cream, cereals, snack bars and juices. They generally contain isolated fibers, such as inulin, polydextrose or maltodextrin. These isolated fibers are included in the product label’s list of ingredients. The health benefits of isolated fibers are still unclear. Research suggests they may not have the same effects as the intact fibers found in whole foods.”

At Simple Natural Weight Loss we believe that eating whole foods naturally rich in fiber is better than eating foods fortified with “isolated fibers” but if you need to boost your fiber intake, fortified foods might be a way to start.

Like everything we recommend, if you are adding fiber to your diet, do it gradually. If you go from eating 14 grams of fiber a day (the national average) to 38 grams a day (the recommended amount for men, it’s 25 grams for women) too quickly, you may experience bloating, cramps and flatulence. So make the change gradually, and you will lose weight naturally with fiber.