According to studies, the average American adult gains 1-2 pounds per year. This might not seem like much but, from year to year that could add up. Before you know it you’ve gained 15 to 20 lbs and are showing signs of weight related diseases like Type 2 Diabetes.

The good news is there are ways to prevent this weight gain or even encourage weight loss. The secret? Eating more fiber.

In a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers at Brigham Young University in Utah followed the eating habits of 252 middle-aged women for nearly two years and found that those who increased their fiber intake lost weight while those who decreased their fiber intake gained weight¹. The scientists found that for every 8 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed, women lost 4½ pounds over the course of the study. This held true regardless of how much fiber the women ate prior to the start of the study, which ranged from 3 to 25 grams a day.