Benefits of Fiber
Eating more fiber is one of the best things you can do for your health!
Fiber has several health benefits:
aids in weight management
reduces cholesterol levels
lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases
lowers the risk of diabetes and helps blood sugar management
increases bowel health
supports healthy gut bacteria
may lower the risk of colorectal and breast cancer
However, only ~5% of the population meets the adequate intake recommendations. This blog will walk you through what fiber is, the benefits, recommendations, and helpful tips to get more fiber in your diet.
What is fiber?
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body can’t digest or metabolize.
Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients (protein and fat being the other two).
The most common and abundant forms of carbs are sugars, fibers, and starches.
Most carbs get broken down into sugar molecules (glucose) but fiber cannot be broken down and instead passes through the body undigested.
There are two types of fiber:
Soluble fiber dissolves in water and can help bulk up loose stool. Foods include oatmeal, barley, potatoes, chia seeds, nuts, beans, lentils, apples, and berries.
Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and can help food move through your digestive system helping prevent constipation. Foods include whole wheat products, quinoa, brown rice, legumes, leafy greens, almonds, nuts, flaxseeds, and fruits with edible skins.
Many foods have a combination of the two so it’s important to not hyper focus on one or the other as each type offers health benefits.
Benefits of Fiber
Helps your heart
This is something we’ve known for many years and evidence just continues to keep piling up. Diets high in fiber have been shown to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and are associated with a lower risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and metabolic syndrome.
Just a few of the many studies showing fiber’s powerful effect include a meta-analysis that found that there was a 9% reduction in risk for heart disease (CVD & CHD) for each 7g per day increase in fiber.
Furthermore, this meta-analysis found the highest rates of death from heart disease were associated with the lowest dietary fiber intake. Adversely, additional research found that a high dietary fiber intake is associated with a reduced risk of mortality from CVD and all cancers.
Help manage blood sugar control
Fiber can help slow down the body’s absorption of sugar, helping to prevent blood sugar spikes after meals.
A 2018 review of meta-analyses showed that those consuming the highest amounts of dietary fiber, especially cereal fiber (grains - not like lucky charms lol), had a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Fiber is good for digestion and gut health
As mentioned above, getting adequate fiber into our diet can help promote regular bowel movements.
Furthermore, many fibers are prebiotics that serves as food for good microbes (or bacteria) in our GI tract. When we feed our good microbes they are able to grow and metabolize food better which is great for our gut microbiome!
Some of these prebiotics include onions, chicory root, asparagus, dandelion greens, garlic, leeks, and Jerusalem artichokes. However, people with irritable bowel syndrome may be sensitive to these fibers as they are high FODMAP foods which can cause bloating or digestive pain.
Cancer
This systematic review and meta-analysis showed that high total fiber consumption was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. Furthermore, a cohort study on adolescent fiber consumption was associated with lower risks of benign lesions and premenopausal breast cancer. Another study found that higher fiber intakes reduce breast cancer risk and suggests that intake during adolescence/early adulthood may be particularly important.
Research has also indicated a higher intake of dietary fiber (particularly cereal/grains) being associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer (1, 2, 3).
Aids in weight management
Fiber can help keep us stay fuller for longer. This allows us to have higher satiety and creates a healthy energy balance.
How much fiber should I have?
The Adequate Intake for fiber is 14 g total fiber per 1,000 kcal.
The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends the following amounts:
Women under 50: 25 to 28 grams per day
Men under 50: 31 to 34 grams per day
Women 51 and older: 22 grams per day
Men 51 and older: 28 grams per day
Children ages 1 to 18 should eat 14 to 31 grams of fiber per day, depending on their age and sex.
However, you can have too much of a good thing. Consuming large amounts may cause discomfort such as:
gas
bloating
constipation
diarrhea
abdominal cramping
Reduce your fiber intake if you experience these symptoms and feel that they are the result of your diet.
Tips for increasing fiber intake:
Slowly increase the amount of fiber you eat over a few weeks. This will help prevent any digestive discomfort.
Eat whole grain breads. Look for choices with 100% whole wheat, rye, oats, or bran as the first or second ingredient. Here are a few of my favorite options.
Daves Killer Bread, Ezekial 4:9, Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat
Swap white rice for brown rice (or mix them together)
Swap juice for fresh fruit and vegetables.
Eat fruits and vegetables with peels or skins on.
Check the Nutrition Facts labels and try to choose products with at least 4 g dietary fiber per serving.
Drink plenty of fluids. Set a goal of at least 8 cups per day or half your body weight in ounces.
Find fiber rich foods you love and add them to your diet. Here’s a list of high fiber foods that I love!
One of my favorite ways to add more fiber is to sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of almonds, ground flaxseeds, or chia seeds to oatmeal, smoothies, puddings, or greek yogurt. Here’s my go to high-fiber oatmeal recipe!
Increasing your daily fiber intake can be one great way to improve your health. Start out by increasing your fiber slowly and drink plenty of fluids!
If you are interested in how to get started in making realistic, sustainable changes for greater health - I encourage you to schedule a call with me so we can talk about your dietary needs, goals, and concerns. Click here to get something on the calendar!
Additional resources:
“Dietary Fiber, Atherosclerosis, and Cardiovascular Disease”
“Nutrition therapy recommendations for the management of adults with diabetes”
“Dietary fiber and prebiotics and the gastrointestinal microbiota”
“Lipid Lowering with Soluble Dietary Fiber”
“Dietary fiber intake and mortality in the NIH-AARP diet and health study”
“Increasing total fiber intake reduces risk of weight and fat gains in women”
“Whole Fruits and Fruit Fiber Emerging Health Effects”
“Top 10 dietary strategies for atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk reduction”
