The Basics of Fiber

As summer wears on and more and more fruits and vegetables come into season, I wanted to talk about fiber. For the most part we all seem to know that fiber is good for us. But what is it, what does it do, and how much should we eat?

Fiber is actually a sub group of carbohydrates, however, unlike other forms, it cannot be broken down into sugars that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Therefore it passes through the digestive tract relatively intact providing a host of benefits along its way. There are two sub groups of fiber, soluble and insoluble. 

Soluble fiber, as the name implies it can dissolve in water. As it dissolves, it creates a gel-like substance. This gel helps slow down the absorption of nutrients like sugar and proteins which can help regulate blood sugar. It also helps feed good gut bacteria that can lead to improvements in body inflammation, immune system function and overall health. 

Insoluble fiber, you guessed it, doesn’t dissolve in water. This can help add bulk to stool and help with constipation and promote regular bowel movements. 

There are further sub groups of fiber that we could break it down into like cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, lingin and ect. Some of these different types can exist in the same food at the same time. 

When it comes to nutrition, sub groups don’t matter that much. What is more important is eating enough different foods in a diet to supply both soluble and insoluble fiber. This means eating a diet rich in different fruits and vegetables as well as nuts and seeds. For those whose bodies can tolerate it, whole grains are also beneficial. 

So now that we have talked about the different kinds, the next question is how much. It seems like more fiber is better and most of our diets are deficient in it. On average we should aim to consume 30 grams of fiber per day, with being closer to 40 more ideal. To hit 40 grams of fiber in 1 day you would need to eat 1 cup of raspberries, 1 cup of blackberries, 1 avocado, 1 pear, 2 cups of broccoli and 1 sweet potato. This is a large number of fruits and vegetables but is a very diverse meal. This also highlights how higher fiber diets can be beneficial for weight loss since it will produce a very full feeling in the stomach without being calorie dense. Since some people struggle to eat that amount of fruits and vegetables, they will opt for a fiber supplement. This is where form can become important. For a supplement for health, you will want to choose one that contains both soluble and insoluble types of fiber. Many supplements only have insoluble and are used for constipation. Make sure you do your research. 

There are many other levels of complexity that one can research if they choose in regards to fiber, but eat a large variety of fruits and vegetables daily, consume 30-40 grams of fiber per day and you will be in a pretty good spot.