Teens, Eat More Fiber To Avoid Getting Fat

The phrase goes back generations in many families,, but a recent study found that eating more fiber was linked to less fat.

The researchers at Georgia Health Sciences University worked with a group of 559 teens aged 14 to 18 years of age. They wanted to know if there were any links between dietary fiber consumption and inflammation and body fat distribution.

Sure teens may care more about the impact seen in the mirror, but this goes deeper. Specifically to the type of fat, called visceral adipose tissue. That is the type of fat that is located around the internal organs. The most common location for visceral adipose tissue is abdominal fat – “belly fat.”

That belly fat may produce a that no one wants to keep, but more importantly for your longevity increased “belly fat” is strongly linked to cardiovascular disease.

So cut the fat and reduce the risk of heart disease in the years ahead. That is why this team of researchers wanted to look at the affects of dietary fiber.

The study measured the following with fasting blood samples.

• resistin
• C-reactive protein
• fibrinogen

All of those are markers for inflammation, a leading indicator of cardiovascular disease.

The researchers measured the teens physical activity with accelerometers, tracked their diet, and monitored their body composition. To track fat, adipose tissue, the researchers used some high-tech methods of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine lean body mass, fat mass, and visceral adipose tissue.

The results led to one conclusion … eat more fiber.

Okay in more detail they found some results specific to men. By consuming more dietary fiber men had less fat mass (were more lean).

But both genders faired well with more dietary fiber. Eating more fiber was linked to (visceral adipose tissue) as well as improved markers for cardiovascular disease.

Grandma was right after all. Eat more fiber to avoid getting fat and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

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The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism May 16, 2012 jc.2012-1784