The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that you consume enough fiber (28-34 grams per day), but most Americans (90-97%) fall short of this goal. By not getting enough fiber in your diet, you are missing out on a range of health benefits. Here are 10 reasons why you should eat more fiber. — Worldculturepost
1. Healthy Weight Loss
Many studies have shown that increasing your fiber intake can help you lose weight. A 2019 randomized controlled trial published in The Journal of Nutrition assigned participants to one of four different calorie-restricted groups. They also asked them to increase their fiber intake at different levels and to do 90 minutes of physical activity each week.
The results showed that no matter what diet they followed, participants lost similar amounts of weight. The researchers concluded that this was because of the fiber intake and not the calorie intake, which confirms what previous studies have found that eating more fiber can help you lose weight.
Foods that are rich in fiber make you feel full faster and keep you satisfied longer.
2. Weight Control
More research is needed, but some evidence suggests that people who eat more fiber tend to be leaner, according to a 2023 study in Frontiers in Nutrition. The researchers found that people who ate the most fiber after losing weight weighed less than those who ate less dietary fiber.
3. Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk
A 2020 study published in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation found that a higher overall intake of dietary fiber was linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. While some previous studies suggested that insoluble fiber was the best type of fiber for lowering type 2 diabetes risk, this study found that both soluble and insoluble fiber contributed to preventing type 2 diabetes. The exact mechanism of how fiber lowers type 2 diabetes risk is not clear, but the researchers think that it could be a combination of fiber's positive effect on blood sugar levels, improving the gut microbiome and reducing inflammation in the body that may help prevent diabetes.
4. Lower Odds of Heart Disease
According to a 2022 BMC Public Health study, a higher fiber intake was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a large group of Americans. The researchers are not sure how fiber works, but they think that soluble fiber plays a role in reducing the absorption of fats from the intestine, resulting in lower cholesterol levels in the blood according to a 2023 Advances in Nutrition review. Additionally, experts say that dietary fiber lowers inflammation which can cause CVD in a 2022 JAMA Network Open article.
5. Growth of Good Bacteria in Gut
Fiber is an essential part of your diet that supports the growth of good bacteria in your gut. According to a 2022 review article in Animal Nutrition, when your gut bacteria digest fiber that has fermented in your GI tract, they produce short-chain fatty acids that have many benefits, such as reducing systemic inflammation, which is linked to many chronic health problems.
When you increase your fiber intake, you can see the results quickly. "You can notice the changes in gut bacteria in just a few days," says Kelly Swanson, Ph.D., a professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The catch: You have to keep getting enough grams of fiber over time to maintain the benefits. If you don't get enough fiber, you may alter the balance of bacteria in your gut, which may lead to increased inflammation in the body.
6. Lower Risk of Certain Cancers
While studies are not conclusive, most suggest that eating more fiber can lower the risk of cancer, especially colorectal and breast cancers. For example, in a 2020 review in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that higher fiber intake, especially from whole grains, was associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer. And another 2020 review published in Cancer found that soluble fiber and fruit fiber had the strongest links with lower risk of breast cancer. This is consistent with the American Cancer Society's recommendations to eat foods high in total fiber, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
7. Longer Life
A 2022 review in the Journal of Translational Medicine found that people who ate enough total fiber, which includes both soluble and insoluble fibers, had a lower chance of dying early from any cause, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. This means that even if you develop heart disease, cancer or another condition, eating enough fiber may help you survive longer.
8. More Regular Bowel Movements
"Constipation is one of the most common GI complaints in the United States," says Tanya Zuckerbrot, RD, author of The F-Factor Diet. If you suffer from constipation, fiber might help. Fiber makes your stool softer and larger, which helps it pass through your body faster. But different types of fiber may have different effects on your bowel movements. A 2020 review in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners suggests that psyllium fiber is better than other types of fiber for those with chronic idiopathic constipation, which is marked by difficult, infrequent or incomplete bowel movements. Other studies, like the 2021 review in Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology note that drinking enough water with your high-fiber diet also helps improve your gut motility more than fiber alone.
9. Natural Detox
You don't need to follow any trendy juice cleanse fads. Fiber naturally cleanses and removes toxins from your GI tract. "Soluble fiber absorbs potentially harmful substances, such as excess estrogen and unhealthy fats, before they can be absorbed by the body," says Zuckerbrot. And because insoluble fiber speeds up the transit time of your stool, it reduces the amount of time that chemicals like BPA, mercury and pesticides stay in your system, adds Zuckerbrot. The faster they leave your body, the less harm they can do.
10. Healthy Bones
Some types of soluble fiber called prebiotics have been shown to increase the availability of minerals, such as calcium, in your colon. The higher availability supports bone health, according to a 2018 review in the journal Calcified Tissue International. Prebiotics feed your good gut bacteria and can be found in some fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains, such as asparagus, bananas, walnuts, onions, legumes, wheat and oats.
In summary: As you can see, fiber of all types is good for your health. By eating a varied, balanced diet that includes plenty of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains, you will likely get the amount of fiber your body needs to function well and reduce your disease risk.