For weight loss increase fiber in diet
A new research says that certain fibres contained in cereals, cereal bars, drinks, baking mixes, etc. may increase the beneficial bacteria in the gut and help in weight loss when consumed daily.
There are many fibers but the researchers focused on these two – polydextrose, which is a common fibre food additive and soluble corn fiber.
‘We need more fibre in our diets from lots of different sources, and these two fibres look like they could be beneficial when included in a balanced diet along with whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes,’ said Hannah Holscher from the University of Illinois in the US.
It was found that there were significant shifts in the gut bacterial populations with fibre supplements and when the supplements were stopped things reversed.
What was most surprising and novel in the recent study was a shift in the Bacteroidetes:Firmicutes ratio (B:F ratio) towards more Bacteroidetes, something the researchers had not viewed previously.
‘This was of particular interest to us because other research works have shown that having more Bacteroidetes may be beneficial because the higher that proportion is, the individual tends to be leaner. With higher Firmicutes, that individual tends to be more obese,’ Holscher said.
Whole-genome sequencing was used by the researchers to explore the full range of bacterial genomic information in the gut after fibre supplementation.
Earlier research has shown that dietary fiber also helps reduce the risk of colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, etc.
The study appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Make sure you take enough fiber on a daily basis!
