Researchers from Georgia State University suggest that a diet low in soluble fiber may be a key contributor in weight gain. The study found that mice fed a diet lacking soluble fiber experienced poor gut health and gained weight. Soluble fiber absorbs water in the gut, forming a gel-like substance that can help lower cholesterol, slow digestion, and regulate blood sugar. The researchers add, “If our observations were to prove applicable to humans, it would suggest that encouraging consumption of foods with high soluble fiber content may be a means to combat the epidemic of metabolic disease. Moreover, [the] addition of… soluble fibers to processed foods, including calorically rich obesogenic foods, may be a means to ameliorate their detrimental effects.”
American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, October 2015