The Study
Sex difference in the association of dietary fiber intake with visceral fat volume in Japanese adults
This study looked at what people ate and how much belly fat they had at the same time — like taking a photo of their diet and their body. It found that men who ate more fiber tended to have less belly fat, but we don’t know if eating more fiber made the fat go down, or if people with less fat just happened to eat more fiber.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at whether eating more fiber helps reduce belly fat in Japanese men and women.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 542 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The difference in belly fat between high and low fiber eaters in men is about the size of a grapefruit — meaningful but not huge, and only seen in men.
- 2Men who ate more fiber from beans, veggies, and fruit had less belly fat — about 223 cm³ less in the highest group.
- 3But women showed no change.
- 4Cereal fiber was linked to slightly more belly fat in men.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Nutrition
Year
2024
Authors
Maki Igarashi, M. Iwasaki, R. Katagiri, S. Tsugane, Nozomu Kobayashi, T. Yamaji
Related Content
Claims (6)
For every additional 10 grams of soluble fiber consumed per day, visceral fat accumulation decreases by 3.7%, regardless of changes in overall body weight.
In Japanese women aged 40–89, the amount of dietary fiber consumed does not correlate with the volume of visceral fat in the abdomen.
In Japanese adults, the relationship between dietary fiber intake and visceral fat volume is different for men and women.
Japanese men aged 40–89 who consume more dietary fiber have less visceral fat than those who consume less fiber, based on measured volumes of abdominal fat.
In Japanese men, fiber from beans, vegetables, and fruits is linked to lower visceral fat, while fiber from cereals is linked to slightly higher visceral fat.
In Japanese men, higher intake of cereal fiber is linked to slightly higher visceral fat levels, and in women, the link is not clear. This suggests cereal fiber does not always reduce abdominal fat.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.