Fiber, Fiber, Fiber
Why is fiber so important? How much fiber do we need each day? And how do I add all that fiber to my diet?
Why is fiber important?
Fiber is crucial for maintaining a healthy digestive system, helping to prevent constipation, and promoting regular bowel movements. Beyond digestion, fiber plays a vital role in managing weight, controlling blood sugar, lowering cholesterol, and reducing the risk of heart disease. It also supports a healthy gut microbiome, which is essential for overall health and well-being.
Soluble fiber is a dietary (plant) fiber that dissolves in water. The right soluble fiber supports good digestion, feeds beneficial bacteria, attenuates glucose absorption, lowers cholesterol and reduces hunger (increases satiety). Just be careful. Consuming some soluble fibers may lead to additional gas, bloating and worse: loose stools.
Insoluble fiber, what your great grandmother may have called roughage, does not dissolve in water. As with soluble fiber, it also comes from plants. Insoluble fiber creates the bulk in your stool. It carries toxins with it as it moves stool through the digestive system.
Digestive Health:
Prevents Constipation: Fiber adds bulk to the stool, making it easier to pass and preventing constipation.
Promotes Regularity: By aiding in the movement of waste through the digestive tract, fiber helps maintain regular bowel movements.
Supports Gut Microbiome: Fiber nourishes beneficial bacteria in the gut, contributing to a healthy gut microbiome, which is linked to various aspects of health, including immunity.
Disease Prevention:
Heart Health: Fiber, particularly soluble fiber, can help lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease.
Diabetes Management: Fiber helps regulate blood sugar levels, preventing spikes and crashes, which is particularly important for people with diabetes.
Cancer Prevention: A high-fiber diet may reduce the risk of certain cancers, especially colon cancer, by promoting healthy bowel function and potentially removing carcinogens.
Weight Management: Fiber can help you feel fuller, potentially leading to reduced calorie intake and aiding in weight loss or maintenance.
How Much do we need?
The exact amount of fiber each person needs differs by age, gender and caloric requirements, but on average the recommended amount of fiber is 28 grams per day. Unfortunately, about 95% of adults & children are only consuming about half their daily recommended amounts of fiber. This is according to an article published by the American Heart Association.
Adding Fiber to Your Diet
It’s important to vary the different types of fiber you choose to add to your diet when you first decide to increase your fiber intake. Adding a lot of fiber from one source, such as eating all vegetables, can cause bloating and gassy discomfort, which may discourage you from continuing to add fiber. Some examples of ways to make incremental changes are listed below:
– Choose breads, pastas and cereals made from whole grains, as well as brown rice.
– Eat fruits like apples and oranges rather than drinking the juices. Berries with seeds, such as strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, are good sources of fiber, as are avocados.
– Include vegetables with every meal, and incorporate vegetables and legumes – especially beans, peas and lentils – into everyday recipes. Then snack on nuts, fruits and low-calorie popcorn.
When choosing your fiber rich BREADS & PASTAS, it is very important to read your food labels and know how to differentiate between whole-grain and refined breads & pastas.
When selecting whole grain breads and pastas, those made from “whole-grain” flours provide the most benefits to the body. “Whole-wheat” is different from “whole-grain” (unless it is 100% stone ground whole wheat). Whole wheat bread & pasta is usually unbleached enriched flour, which has the fiber kernel removed and is made with refined flour and has nutrients added back in after processing. This is the same process for white bread. These breads & pastas can be identified by the word “enriched” in the ingredients label. Whenever you see “enriched” the bread or pasta is not whole-grain, it is refined. Whole-grain or refined breads & pastas can both offer high fiber options. It’s just a matter of personal choice. In addition to the ingredient, you will want to pay attention to how many grams of fiber per serving.
Additional Fiber Rich Foods
Soluble Fiber Foods:
Oats and oat bran: These are excellent sources of soluble fiber, particularly beta-glucan, which can help lower cholesterol.
Legumes: Beans (like kidney beans, chickpeas, and black beans), lentils, and peas are rich in soluble fiber.
Fruits: Apples, bananas, citrus fruits, pears, and avocados are good sources.
Vegetables: Carrots, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and sweet potatoes contain soluble fiber.
Barley: This grain is also a good source of soluble fiber, specifically beta-glucan.
Psyllium: This is a common fiber supplement that is a source of soluble fiber.
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, chia seeds, and flaxseeds are good sources.
InSoluble Fiber Foods:
Whole grains: Wheat bran, brown rice, barley, and whole-wheat flour.
Fruits: Apples, pears, and berries with skin, bananas.
Vegetables: Cauliflower, green beans, potatoes, and leafy greens like kale and spinach.
Legumes: Beans and Peas
Resources:
The above information has been sources from Google Search and the following sources:
Eleanor Noss Whitney, & Sharon Rady Rolfes. (2016). Understanding nutrition (14th ed.). Cengage Learning.
“Soluble Fiber - Everything You Need to Know.” Sunfiber, sunfiber.com/soluble-fiber/.
Sound the fiber alarm! Most of us need more of it in our diet. American Heart Association.