Despite oodles of advice touting the next best thing in weight loss, one thing remains certain: high-fiber foods can help. In addition to promoting healthy blood sugar levels and even eliminating calories from the foods we eat, fiber interacts with a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) to provide some pretty neat benefits to those who want to shed the pounds. Many people are unaware that the small intestine produces this nifty little hormone that actually increases satiety (the feeling of fullness after a meal). Essentially, CCK is a messenger that tells the body that you are full and that it is time to stop eating. When you eat a diet high in fiber, that fiber helps promote and prolong the elevation of CCK in the blood, which in turn allows you to feel full for longer periods of time.

CCK is a gastrointestinal hormone responsible for stimulating the digestion of fat and protein. It is secreted by the duodenum (the first segment of your small intestine), which then stimulates the release of enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the gallbladder to aid in digestion. In fact, CCK mediates a number of physiological processes. Among the first scientists to discover the effects of CCK was a team of researchers from the University of California, Davis. They found that women who ate a high-fiber meal released more CCK into their bloodstream than women who ate a low-fiber meal. The same was true of those who ate a high-fat meal as opposed to a low-fat meal. Have you ever noticed that when you eat a lot of fat, as with a big juicy steak, you feel satisfied? That’s because fat releases the same hormone. Those who ate the high-fat and high-fiber meals reported a greater feeling of fullness, which was attributed to higher levels of CCK in their bodies. And what about men?

Another study confirmed that the same results applied to men. A group of male subjects was tested using a high-fiber meal and a low-fiber meal in random order. Both the test meal and the control meal included eggs, bread, jelly, orange juice, milk, and margarine. The high-fiber meal contained white beans, whereas the low-fiber meal contained rice and dry milk. The researchers measured the subjects’ levels of CCK before the meals and then for six hours afterward. Not surprisingly, the results indicated a CCK response that was twice as high after the high-fiber meal as after the low-fiber meal.

So whether you’re set on shedding a few pounds or you simply want to help curb your appetite throughout the day, be sure to stock up on fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. You’ll soon see why a little fiber goes a long way!

Brenda Watson is a New York Times Best Selling Author, a Naturopathic Doctor and President of Renew Life Formulas. She has been assisting people achieve optimal digeastive health for over twenty five years. High Fiber Diet Information