Dietary Fiber: What Is Fiber and Why Is Fiber So Important?
When you ask most people if whole plant foods are good for you, they won’t hesitate to say yes.
But when you ask why, you may be met with silence.
Even those who say it’s because of the vitamin content aren’t really seeing the bigger picture.
Yes, they’re full of vitamins and other nutrients, but one big reason whole plant foods are the basis of a healthy diet is their high fiber content.
And although you could argue that it’s not necessary to know why these foods are good for you as long as you’re eating them, I think it’s worth taking a few minutes to understand the basics of fiber because it plays an outsized role in a healthy diet.
Believe me: once you see all it can do, you’ll never overlook fiber again.
What is fiber?
Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate found in foods that isn’t digestible. When we talk about fiber, we usually divide it into two types: soluble and insoluble.
· Soluble fiber dissolves in water and the good bacteria in your gut can metabolize it.
· Insoluble fiber, as you’ve probably guessed, does not dissolve in water.
Many foods contain both types of fiber.
Why is fiber important?
As I mentioned earlier, fiber feeds the good bacteria in your gut, but why is this so desirable?
Your good gut bacteria actually work for you, so it’s nice of you to keep them fed. After all, they’re doing important tasks like helping your brain function, weight control, immune function and blood sugar control.
Because human cells can’t digest fiber, it makes its way into your large intestine unchanged, where it serves as a prebiotic.
Benefits of eating fiber
· A big analysis involving nearly 250 studies found that eating lots of fiber from fruits, whole grains and vegetables lowers your risk of dying from cancer and heart disease.
· A pair of observational studies has shown an association between dietary fiber intake and a reduced risk of death from any cause.
· A study from Yale showed that premenopausal women with higher intakes of soluble fiber had 62 percent lower odds of breast cancer.
· People who eat a high-fiber diet have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes as well as reduced blood glucose levels.
· Fiber helps your body to flush out excess cholesterol instead of storing it and allowing it to damage your health. This may also explain why those who eat more fiber have a reduced risk of heart disease.
· It keeps your gut healthy by preventing or relieving constipation, promoting regular bowel movements, and cutting the time waste spends in your intestines. It can also have a positive impact on gastrointestinal disorders such as diverticular disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, colorectal ulcer, and hemorrhoids.
Fiber for weight loss
If you’re looking to shed a few pounds, fiber is a great and healthy way to get there because it can reduce your appetite.
Because fiber soaks up water in your intestine, it slows the absorption of nutrients and helps you feel fuller. Studies have actually shown that raising your intake of dietary fiber can help you lose weight by automatically reducing your calorie intake.
How much fiber do we need in a day?
The USDA recommends that women up to age 50 get 25 grams a fiber per day; men need 38. However, lots of experts believe those recommendations are too low.
The average American gets only around half of this, and just 5 percent of adults manage to consume the recommended amount of dietary fiber.
5 percent.
Surely we can do better than that.
And speaking of the number 5, I have an easy rule of thumb that can help you make better decisions when you’re shopping.
On a whole food, plant-based diet, you’re going to eat a lot more fiber than you would have on a conventional Western diet without even really trying, but when you’re buying whole grain breads, tortillas, crackers, and cereals, some are a lot better than others.
So, here’s a very simple way to decide which one is best: look for a 1:5 ratio of fiber to carbohydrates. When you divide the carbohydrates listed by the dietary fiber, you want to see a number that is 5 or lower.
That’s it. Simple division.
Easy ways to get more fiber in your diet
· Any time you’re making soup, think of ways to fit in more beans and/or vegetables as both are good sources of fiber.
· When you feel like something sweet, cut up an apple or pear and munch on it instead of lower-fiber fruits like watermelon. Be sure to leave the skin on – a peeled apple has only half the fiber of a whole one.
· Add nuts, seeds and berries to your salads. And if possible, eat your salad before your meal rather than with it as studies show women eat as much as 23 percent more vegetables that way.
· For snacks, try some different raw vegetables like carrots, broccoli and cauliflower with a high-fiber dip like hummus.
· Avocados are having a bit of a moment right now, but it’s for a good reason: There are 5 grams of fiber in just half an avocado. Use as a spread or dip, or cut up and add to salads.
· Popcorn is another great snack choice, with three cups of air-popped popcorn providing you with 4 grams of fiber. Top with nutritional yeast for a cheese-like flavor and a vitamin B12 boost.
· Don’t forget about breakfast – oatmeal is a fiber-packed grain that is super versatile.
· Find creative ways to sneak in some chia seeds, which have 11 grams of fiber per ounce, most of which is insoluble. Add to smoothies, salads, breads, dips, and oatmeal for a generous fiber boost.
· Make sure you’re eating plenty of beans. A cup of cooked beans can give you as much as 75 percent of your daily fiber needs, so start subbing beans in your favorite meat dishes if you haven’t already and adding them to your salads and soups.
And just one word of warning: when your aim is getting enough fiber, you need to eat the whole fruits and vegetables. Juicing them won’t cut it.
As you might already know if you’ve read my Juicing vs Smoothies article, juicing removes most of the fiber from produce, along with the nutrients that are bound to it – so eat the whole food.
The bottom line
They say there are no shortcuts to good health, but eating a fiber-rich diet really can go a long way toward reducing your risk of a variety of serious health conditions and possibly extend your life. Filling the fiber gap in your diet is one of the best gifts you can give your body!