Can Fiber Work Like Ozempic?
Research on the gut microbiome has triggered a ‘revolution‘ in nutritional science, and in the last few years, dietary fiber has become the “new protein” – added to foods in abundance to feed our gut and boost our health. A recent study on mice, however, suggests not all fiber supplements are equally beneficial.
A form that is readily found in oats and barley, called beta-glucan, can control blood sugar and assist in weight loss among mice fed a high-fat diet. Researchers at the University of Arizona (UA) and the University of Vienna say it is the only type of fiber supplement they tested that decreased a mouse’s fat content and body weight within 18 weeks.
The other fibers considered, including wheat dextrin, pectin, resistant starch, and cellulose, had no such effect, despite shifting the makeup of the mouse microbiome significantly compared to mice fed no fiber supplements. “We know that fiber is important and beneficial; the problem is that there are so many different types of fiber,” explained biomedical scientist Frank Duca from UA in July.
Excerpted from Science Alert
