Research highlighted in Seattle says fiber helps manage weight by slowing how completely and how quickly the body absorbs carbohydrates from whole foods.
That effect starts with foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, where carbohydrates come packaged with fiber in nature-balanced ratios.
Fiber also feeds the microbiome, which converts it into signals that stimulate gut hormones regulating stomach emptying, blood sugar control and hunger.
Those hormone pathways overlap with the biology targeted by blockbuster weight-loss drugs including Wegovy and Ozempic, but the report says fiber activates them naturally.