Energy balance
Fermentable dietary fiber (e.g., guar gum) increases body weight and fat mass in high-fat diet-fed mice compared to non-fermentable fiber (e.g., oat fiber) due to increased energy extraction via short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production.
If you are trying to lose weight, not all fiber is equal. Fermentable fibers (like guar gum) are broken down into energy (SCFAs) by your gut bacteria, which can add calories and potentially promote weight gain, especially if your diet is high in fat. Non-fermentable fibers (like insoluble oat fiber) are less likely to contribute extra energy and may be more effective for weight management in high-fat diets.
Thereafter the mice on the guar gum supplemented diet gained significantly more body weight compared with the mice fed on the diet supplemented with the non-fermentable oat fibre fraction (42 g v. 33 g after 45 weeks)... In contrast, guar gum was well fermented leading to increased SCFA formation, which in turn contributed to an increase in digested energy.
Why this rating
Based on a single mouse study comparing two fiber types; animal models may not fully translate to human metabolic complexity.
Source
Gut microbiota and energy balance: role in obesity
Michaël Blaut · Proceedings of The Nutrition Society · 2014
DOI 10.1017/s0029665114001700
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- High-fat diets increase gut permeability to bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS), leading to systemic inflammation and metabolic syndrome symptoms.Good
- Activation of Free Fatty Acid Receptors (FFAR2/FFAR3) by SCFAs increases satiety hormones (GLP-1, PYY) and insulin sensitivity, which may counteract the obesogenic effects of SCFA energy extraction.Moderate
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