Eating more foods high in soluble fibre — found in oat bran, nuts, lentils, peas, and some fruits and vegetables — may help prevent metabolic disease and obesity, a new study has found.
Researchers at Georgia State University in the U.S. found that a diet missing soluble fibre promotes inflammation in the intestines and poor gut health, leading to weight gain in mice. But incorporating soluble fibre back into the diet can restore gut health.
The study examined the effects of diets varying in amounts of soluble and insoluble fibres, protein and fat on the structure of the intestines, fat accumulation and weight gain in mice.
They found that mice on a diet that lacked soluble fibre gained weight and had more fat.
The intestines of mice on the soluble fibre-deficient diet were also shorter and had thinner walls. These structural changes were observed within two days after starting the diet.
Restoring gut health

The researchers also found that introducing soluble fibre into the diet restored gut structure. Supplementing with soluble fibre inulin restored the intestinal structure in mice on the soluble fibre-deficient diet.
Mice that received cellulose, an insoluble fibre, however, did not show improvements.