We’ve all had that conversation about our diet with someone we know that ended with, “eat more fiber.” Whether it was your primary care provider, gastroenterologist, or just a close friend or family member, we believe they’re truly on to something.
Dietary fiber is an essential nutrient that should be included in your diet. It is important to understand precisely what it is and how it is beneficial to your body and gastrointestinal health.
Found mostly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, dietary fiber is one of the best natural ways to relieve constipation. Along with its benefits to the GI tract, it has also been proven to help with many other health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and some forms of cancer.
Whether or not you’re living with chronic constipation or other gastrointestinal issues, dietary fiber should be a staple addition to your daily diet.
Let’s explore dietary fiber and its benefits in more detail.
What is dietary fiber?
Dietary fiber is a complex substance found in plants that humans can safely consume. It differs from other nutrients such as fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, as it cannot be fully broken down and digested by the body. Instead, it passes through the digestive system, mostly intact, and out of the body after consumption.
Dietary fiber is sometimes referred to as roughage.
Types of Fiber
Generally speaking, dietary fiber is categorized into two types.
Soluble Fiber
This type fully dissolves in water, creating a gel-like substance in your digestive tract. It has been proven to lower cholesterol and help with regulating blood sugar. This type can be found naturally in beans, citrus fruits, oats, apples, carrots, and barley.
Insoluble Fiber
This type of fiber does not dissolve in water. Instead, it adds bulk that helps move all material throughout your digestive tract efficiently. Insoluble fiber is the best option for those struggling with irregular stools or constipation. It can be found in whole wheat foods, beans, nuts, cauliflower, potatoes, and green beans.
Fiber Benefits
Along with helping stool regulation and preventing constipation, fiber has various benefits.
The most prominent benefits of consuming fiber-rich foods include:
Normalizing bowel movements and stool size for easier passage.
Lowering cholesterol.
Regulating blood sugar levels in those living with diabetes
Helping with weight management due to providing a full feeling upon consumption.
Reducing your risk of certain health conditions, including some forms of cancer and heart disease which may increase your overall life expectancy.
Daily Fiber Recommendations
According to the Institute of Medicine and Mayo Clinic, you should follow the below recommendations for daily fiber intake:
Before you begin a new diet it is essential to discuss all planned changes with your doctor to determine the appropriate amount of fiber, and other nutrients, for your unique health and wellness goals.
How to Add More Fiber to Your Diet
Ideally, adding fiber to each meal will help you achieve your goal amount per day, but for some, that can be hard to manage.
Some of our favorite tried and tested tips to add more fiber to your diet include:
Eating a high-fiber cereal for breakfast with a side of fruit.
When choosing your bread source, always opt for whole grain.
When baking, substitute any white flour for whole-grain flour.
Add beans and lentils to standard dishes like soups, salads, and pasta.
Eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day and choose higher fiber options.
Add in fiber-rich snacks like almonds, popcorn, pears, apples, or carrot sticks in between meals.
When eating fruit, always keep the peel on to consume all the fiber it offers.
Adding fiber to your daily diet shouldn’t feel like a chore. Instead, it is a great way to balance your gut and reduce your risk of developing serious health or GI conditions. To learn more about the benefits of fiber, or to schedule an appointment with our experienced gastroenterology team, contact us today.