Research

Hormonal

Higher dietary fiber intake is inversely associated with body weight gain, fasting insulin, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in young adults, independent of fat and carbohydrate intake.

To support healthy weight and metabolic function, prioritize high-fiber foods. This study suggests that higher fiber intake is linked to lower body weight, lower insulin levels, and better cardiovascular markers, independent of how much fat or carbohydrate you eat. Focus on getting enough fiber rather than strictly limiting fat or carbs.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
After adjustment for potential confounding factors, dietary fiber showed linear associations from lowest to highest quintiles of intake with the following: body weight... waist-to-hip ratio... fasting insulin adjusted for body mass index... and 2-hour postglucose insulin adjusted for body mass index... Fiber was also associated with blood pressure and levels of triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and fibrinogen
David S. Ludwig · JAMA · 1999

Why this rating

Large prospective cohort study (CARDIA) with 10-year follow-up and rigorous adjustment for confounders, though observational design limits causal inference.

Source

Dietary Fiber, Weight Gain, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Young Adults

David S. Ludwig · JAMA · 1999

DOI 10.1001/jama.282.16.1539

cohort · n=2909Cited 725×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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