According to a new study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, a strategy as simple as it is effective to push back the needle of balance is to use the fibers.
Just put it on the table 25-30 g per day, experts say, to dispose of even 700 g in the course of a month, destined to double if you also follow a low-calorie diet.
How the soluble ones work
«The fibers that help lose weight they are above all the soluble ones, such as inulin or pectin, contained in fruit (pears and apples are real mines), legumes and vegetables, in particular artichokes, celery, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts », explains Dr. , specialist in food science and clinical pharmacology in Milan.
«Once in the intestine, they form a sort of mucilage which incorporates the fats and in part also the sugars, thus reducing their absorption. Furthermore, the soluble fibers they are the breeding ground for the microbiota, the army of protective bacteria that colonizes the intestine, acting above all on lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, the species that keep the metabolism fermentative to the detriment of the putrefactive, induced by the consumption of proteins. The intestinal permeability therefore remains well balanced, and this means that i nutrients cwhich are not absorbed are conveyed directly in the faeces instead of being assimilated ».
How the insoluble ones work
Less effective on the weight loss front, on the other hand, insoluble fibers, such as those of bran, contained in bread, pasta and other whole foods. «However, if combined with the soluble ones they optimize their action, because improve intestinal transit, regularizing the functions of the digestive organ », adds Dr. .
«Not only that: wholemeal bread and pasta have a index glicemico conducive to weight loss and, thanks to a longer digestion time than that of refined cereals, induce a longer sense of satiety, which reduces the risk of making extra snacks.
They therefore help to eat less. But be careful: to get this result, look at the label and choose products with an insoluble fiber content of at least 15% ».
What to put on the table
To hire the recommended 25-30 g of fiber per day, you have to put on the table 1 kg of fruit and vegetables (already an apple and a pear ensure 400 g). But if you also consume during the day whole foods (30 g of flakes for breakfast, 60 g of pasta for lunch and 150 g of bread for dinner, for example), you can reduce the amount of vegetables to 700 g.
«Vegetables always go eaten raw as a first course, aperitif style: they increase the sense of satiety and indirectly reduce the caloric intake of the entire meal », suggests the expert. “Besides, it's useful beer at least 4-6 glasses of water between meals: they help to “inflate” the insoluble fibers ».
The supplement gives you a hand
Those who cannot reach the fateful 25-30 g daily of fiber with diet alone, can also resort to supplements based on soluble fibers of vegetable origin (such as glucomannan or guar).
Generally, only one daily dose is recommended, which provides 5 g. To lose weight, the action of naturally occurring fibers however, it is decidedly more effective and complete.
