Do we need to eat fiber?
The human body can NOT digest fiber, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t need it. (1).
Fiber is essential for the digestion and absorption of nutrients, healthy gut motility, and proper stool formation to excrete wastes from the body (2).
Additionally, fiber feeds healthy microbes of the gut microbiota, which in turn produce necessary nutrients for the human host (3). For example, the gut microbe F. prausnitzii consumes the fiber from the foods we eat, like bananas, garlic, and onions, and then produces butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that fuels our colon cells, protects us from infection, and promotes a healthy gut (4).
These are just a few reasons why daily fiber intake is so important.
Types of fiber
Fiber is a group of complex carbohydrates that come from the cell walls of plants, and the human body cannot digest these substances (5).
There are two main forms of dietary fiber, soluble and insoluble.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water forming a gel-like substance in the intestines that slows digestion (helping us feel full longer) and absorbs things like metabolic waste products and toxins to be eliminated from the body (6).
Insoluble fiber absorbs fluids and adds bulk to the stool in the large intestines helping remove wastes from the body (7).
Another form of fiber is prebiotic fiber, which feeds the good bacteria in our gut so that they can produce helpful substances, like butyrate, that support our health (4) (8).
All three forms of fiber are needed as they work to promote detoxification, prevent constipation, and support a healthy microbiome.
Benefits of consuming fiber
Dietary soluble fiber is associated with improved blood sugar regulation for improved metabolic health, and a decreased risk for conditions like heart disease as it reduces cholesterol and blood pressure levels (7).
Dietary insoluble fiber improves colorectal health as the softer, bulkier stool promotes regularity and reduces the risk for conditions like constipation and colorectal cancer (9).
Fermentable, or prebiotic fiber is broken down by gut bacteria, producing short-chain fatty acids that help to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, prevent blood clots, and reduce inflammation (8).
Some fiber-containing foods
Soluble fiber can be consumed from Brussels sprouts, beans, flaxseeds, avocados, peas, carrots, and apples (9).
Insoluble fiber is found in foods like beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, green beans, and fruits like kiwi, grapes, and raspberries (9).
Dietary sources of prebiotic fiber are onions, garlic, leeks, chicory root, asparagus, bananas, and dandelion greens (8).
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