Fiber

Does fiber help you lose weight?

Updated 4 Nov 2026

Short answer

Only a little. A 2020 review of 62 trials with 3,877 people found that viscous (gel-forming) fiber lowered body weight by 0.33 kg and waist size by 0.63 cm, with no calorie limit. Body fat did not change significantly. Overweight people and people with diabetes or metabolic syndrome lost more.[1]

Viscous fibers such as pectin, beta-glucan and guar gum reduced appetite in 59% of comparisons, and less viscous fibers in 14%. The effects on food intake and weight were relatively small.[2]

Sources (2)

  1. Can dietary viscous fiber affect body weight independently of an energy-restrictive diet? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Jovanovski E, Mazhar N, Komishon A, Khayyat R, Li D, Blanco Mejia S, et al. Am J Clin Nutr, 2020. PMID 31897475
  2. Effects of dietary fibre on subjective appetite, energy intake and body weight: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Wanders AJ, van den Borne JJ, de Graaf C, Hulshof T, Jonathan MC, Kristensen M, et al. Obes Rev, 2011. PMID 21676152

More about fiber

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For education; not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before you start, stop or change a supplement.