Weight loss is best achieved through eating a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise, but some experts believe the addition of a certain supplement could help people lose weight.
Hannah Braye, nutritional therapist at Lepicol Fibre firm in London, recommends fibre supplements as a real weight loss aid.
She explained: “Fibre is an integral part of the diet of humans. New recommendations are that we should be consuming around 30g of fibre a day, which many people are falling far short of.
She said fibre can be obtained from a variety of plants such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lentils, beans, pulses, nuts and seeds.
“However, hectic modern lifestyles often mean that people rely heavily on processed convenience foods, which are often low in nutrients, including fibre,” she said, quoted by the UK’s Daily Express newspaper.
Fibre plays a key role in regulating appetite, according to Hannah.
She advised: “It helps keep us feeling full for longer, reducing the need to snack..fibre rich foods also tend to be low energy density, meaning that you can eat larger amounts, with fewer calories.
“Studies have found that increasing fibre intake can help aid weight-loss (independent of other factors).
“For example, increasing dietary fibre has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of gaining weight and fat in women, independent of several potential confounders, including physical activity, dietary fat intake, and others.
“Researchers concluded that fibre’s influence seems to occur primarily through reducing energy intake over time.”
According to the expert, taking steps to add more fibre to your diet, for example by eating porridge with fresh fruit and nuts for breakfast, having a portion of beans (such as cannellini, kidney or butter beans) every day, making sure half of your plate comprises vegetables and switching to wholegrain varieties of rice, bread and pasta, is a good first step in reaching your daily fibre target.
