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* Fiber reduces the [[Glycemic Index]] of foods, which may be why fiber reduces subsequent hunger<ref name="Holt-1992"/><ref name="Bourdon-1999"/><ref name="Leathwood-1988"/>.
* Fiber reduces the energy that is absorbed from other (non-fiber) food<ref name="Heaton-1973"/>.
* It's probable that the benefits of fiber are linked to consuming high fiber foods rather than fiber supplements.
* The characteristics of the fiber (solubility, fermentability, viscosity) are important in determining the impact on weight<ref name="SchroederMarquart2013"/>.
=Other Health Benefits=
There are a number of other health benefits from increased fiber intake.
* '''Viscous and non-viscous.''' Some fibers form a thick, viscous gel tends to slow digestion and reduce cholesterol levels. Viscus can also fibers also help more with constipation.
* '''Soluble and insoluble.''' A soluble fiber will disperse in water, while insoluble fiber will not. While soluble and insoluble fibers tend to have different characteristics, you need to consider other aspects of a fiber to understand it's impact on your health. Most insoluble fibers are non-fermentable, but soluble fibers can either be fermentable or non-fermentable. Likewise, insoluble fiber is generally non-viscus while soluble can be either.
These characteristics interact in complex ways, so all characteristics have to be considered together<ref name="SchroederMarquart2013"/>. Depending on the combination of characteristics, there are different health benefits, as shown below<ref name="WoleverTosh2010McRorie2015"/>.
{| class="wikitable"
! Soluble?
| No
| No
| Wheat bran, Cellulose
|
* Course particles can irritate the digestive tract, which may reduce constipation.
* No increase in flatulence.
* No calorific value.
* May encourage meal termination<ref name="SchroederMarquart2013"/>.
|-
| Yes
* Possible cholesterol reduction<ref name="WoleverTosh2010"/><ref name="GuoLiu2012"/>
* No clinically supported health benefits.
* Some calorific value1.5-2.5 Cal/g <ref name="Smith-1998"/><ref name="Livesey-1990"/>.
|-
| Yes
* Reduces Cholesterol.
* No reduction in constipation or diarrhea.
* Some calorific value1.5-2.5 Cal/g <ref name="Smith-1998"/><ref name="Livesey-1990"/>
|-
| Yes
| Yes
| No
| Psyllium (Metamucil), Methylcellulose (Citrucel)
|
* Dissolves in water to form a thick gel (think of cooked oatmeal/ porridge).
* Reduces both constipation and diarrhea, normalizing stools.
* No calorific value.
* May reduce weight gain and encourage meal termination<ref name="SchroederMarquart2013"/>.
|}
Here's the same information in an alternative layout.
{| class="wikitable"
!
! Wheat bran, Cellulose
! Inulin, wheat dextrin, oligosaccharides, resistant starches
! Oats, Barley, Guar Gum
! Psyllium (Metamucil), Methylcellulose (Citrucel)
|-
| Improve digestive bacteria?
| Calories?
| No
| Yes1.5-2.5 Cal/g <ref name="Smith-1998"/><ref name="Livesey-1990"/>| Yes1.5-2.5 Cal/g <ref name="Smith-1998"/><ref name="Livesey-1990"/>
| No
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|}
=Sources of Fiber=
<ref name="GuoLiu2012">Zhuang Guo, Xiao-Ming Liu, Qiu-Xiang Zhang, Feng-Wei Tian, Hao Zhang, He-Ping Zhang, Wei Chen, Effects of inulin on the plasma lipid profile of normolipidemic and hyperlipidemic subjects: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, Clinical Lipidology, volume 7, issue 2, 2012, pages 215–222, ISSN [http://www.worldcat.org/issn/1758-4299 1758-4299], doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.2217/clp.12.8 10.2217/clp.12.8]</ref>
<ref name="BlachierAdam2015">François Blachier, Clare L. Adam, Lynn M. Thomson, Patricia A. Williams, Alexander W. Ross, Soluble Fermentable Dietary Fibre (Pectin) Decreases Caloric Intake, Adiposity and Lipidaemia in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats, PLOS ONE, volume 10, issue 10, 2015, pages e0140392, ISSN [http://www.worldcat.org/issn/1932-6203 1932-6203], doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0140392 10.1371/journal.pone.0140392]</ref>
<ref name="SchroederMarquart2013">Natalia Schroeder, Len Marquart, Daniel Gallaher, The Role of Viscosity and Fermentability of Dietary Fibers on Satiety- and Adiposity-Related Hormones in Rats, Nutrients, volume 5, issue 6, 2013, pages 2093–2113, ISSN [http://www.worldcat.org/issn/2072-6643 2072-6643], doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu5062093 10.3390/nu5062093]</ref>
<ref name="McRorie2015">Johnson W. McRorie, Evidence-Based Approach to Fiber Supplements and Clinically Meaningful Health Benefits, Part 1, Nutrition Today, volume 50, issue 2, 2015, pages 82–89, ISSN [http://www.worldcat.org/issn/0029-666X 0029-666X], doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/NT.0000000000000082 10.1097/NT.0000000000000082]</ref>
</references>