The Benefits of Fiber
A recent meta-analysis of multiple nutrition studies revealed something you probably already knew: eating fiber is good for you. Specifically the researchers in this study determined that the more fiber you eat the less likely you are to die over a certain period of time.
You've probably already heard that fiber helps with digestion and that foods that are rich in fiber also tend to have other nutrients that are good for you, as is the case with many fruits and vegetables. But what you might not know is the way fiber regulates your blood sugar and prevents weight gain.
In the past few years the science of obesity has swung in the direction of sugar being a major culprit. If you consume a large amount of sugar at once your body experiences an insulin spike, and the insulin signals your liver to start converting sugar to fat. One way to diminish the spike is to slow the digestion of sugar. Enter fiber, especially the naturally occurring and water soluble kind. Eating sugar that comes with a lot of fiber, as is the case with fruits and vegetables, slows down the rate of digestion, the ensuing insulin spike and the conversion to fat.
So what does this all mean? It means if you are trying to lose weight and have a sweet tooth then you should stick to sweets that are high in fiber. It also means that you should stay away from fruit juices - which contain the sugar but not the fiber - and eat the entire fruit.
