A new study in the British Journal of Nutrition examined how fiber intake affects weight loss and the best time to consume it.
Fiber is very important when trying to lose weight because it helps you feel full and may reduce how much you eat. It's a type of carbohydrate that the body doesn't fully digest. It also helps keep your digestion healthy, supports good gut bacteria, keeps bowel movements regular, and may lower the risk of diseases like colon cancer.
In the study, people ate nearly half of their daily calories in the morning. Those who ate more fiber (at least 30 grams a day) felt fuller and had better control over their appetite than those who ate less fiber.
Both high-protein and high-fiber breakfasts helped people feel satisfied after eating. However, the biggest difference was in gut health. People who ate more fiber had healthier gut bacteria because fiber feeds good microbes in the gut.
Experts stressed that timing matters, along with how much fiber you eat. If you already eat a lot of fiber, having more at breakfast may feel fine. But if you suddenly increase fiber intake, it can cause discomfort.
"It can cause a lot of GI upset if you eat too much fiber in one sitting, and could lead to constipation, gas, abdominal pain, bloating, and maybe even diarrhea in some individuals," Samantha Coogan, director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics and senior lecturer at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told Verywell Health.
Also, instead of eating all your daily fiber at once, it's better to spread it out, about 7-10 grams per meal. "This should cause the least amount of GI disturbance while still providing the gut health and heart health benefits that fiber provides," Coogan added.
The researchers noted that breakfast is a good time to eat fiber, especially with foods like oatmeal, cereal, or whole grains. You can also add more fiber to other meals, you can include plant-based proteins like beans or tofu, or add lentils and legumes to soups and salads.
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