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1 January 2010
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Fibre for weight control?

Fruit and vegetables are important contributors to the intake of dietary fibre, both soluble and insoluble. Fibre is slowly digested and has a low Glycaemic Index (GI). This means glucose will be released steadily into the body over several hours, allowing you to feel fuller for longer, compared with high GI foods that produce a rapid rise followed by a subsequent fall in blood sugar, often leaving you hungry soon after you've eaten. This feeling of fullness produced by the fibre within fruit and vegetables can therefore help with weight control. Fruit and vegetables also assist weight management as they're low in calories, but remember that their calorific load is determined by what you prepare them with, so avoid the butter, cream or cheese sauces, and dips that can accompany them.

This article was last medically reviewed by the MRC Human Nutrition Research in July 2008.
First published in March 2001.

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