Fitness Parlor: How Eating Fiber Can Help You Lose Belly Fat

Belly fat raises the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other conditions. Luckily, studies show that consuming more fiber reduces belly fat.

Dietary fiber is any part of plant material which cannot be broken down by the human digestive system. There is insoluble and soluble fiber. Both are vital for health.

Insoluble fiber is not dissolved by water, hence the name. It increases the volume of stool and appears to help food move more efficiently towards the colon. This makes it ideal for reducing the risk of constipation.

How Soluble Fiber Helps in Fighting Belly Fat

In the course of digestion, soluble fiber mixes with water and turns into gel. This slows digestion. Consequently, absorption of digested food happens at a slower speed.

Here is the key; when some foods are absorbed into the body very quickly, there is bound to be a blood sugar surge. To maintain a safe sugar level, insulin is produced to convert this sugar into fat. For some reason, this fat goes mostly to the middle of the body.

Soluble Fiber and Appetite Control

A killer way of eliminating belly fat it to reduce your overall weight or fat mass! Soluble fiber is a vital appetite controller. When your appetite is lower, you consume less calories and this can help you lose weight.

Eating soluble fiber lessens the amount of hunger hormones the body produces. It boosts the hormones that make you feel full as well.

Soluble fiber reduces the speed at which food moves through the gut. This leads to reduced appetite.

When insulin is released at a higher rate, you experience a feeling of hunger. This happens when some nutrients like sugars are released very quickly into the gut. If you can slow the speed with which these nutrients move, you reduce your appetite. Soluble fiber does this.

Link between Soluble Fiber and Good Bacteria

Your have trillions of good bacteria thriving in your small and large intestines. These bacteria help in the production of vitamins and processing of waste.

Research has shown that if you eat foods rich in soluble fiber, you are more likely to have a bigger diversity of beneficial bacteria. Inclusive studies suggest that this diversity seems to reduce belly fat.

Bacterial diversity is also linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Gut Bacteria and Fermentation

Though your stomach cannot digest fiber, enzymes in friendly bacteria are able to break down soluble fiber into short-chain fatty acids. This process is called fermentation.

Short-chain fatty acids promote colon health. They may also help in processing some foods like carbohydrates and fat into energy. This prevents these foods from being stored as fat.

Recent researches have concluded that short-chain fatty acids may increase your metabolic rate. This means your body is able to burn more fat, including belly fat. Additionally, they might reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Sources of Soluble Fiber

A good number of plant-based foods contain soluble fiber. These include:

Sweet potatoes
Mangoes
Legumes
Oranges
Apricots
Turnips
Grapefruit
Asparagus
Flaxseeds
Oatmeal and other whole grains
Brussels sprouts

All unprocessed seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables contain a varying amount of soluble fiber. They also have other health benefits.

Most processed foods have little or no fiber. The fiber is removed to make them more aesthetically appealing, more palatable, and increase their shelf life.

Do Fiber Supplements Help Reduce Belly Fat?

The best way to add soluble fiber to your diet is to eat unprocessed food. If this is not possible in your situation, taking soluble fiber supplements is a good idea.

Some of the soluble fiber supplements that have been seen to work well particularly for belly fat are:

Glucomannan

Psyllium husk

Inulin

Some of the supplements come in the form of syrup and are fortified with other vital nutrients.