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FOR A LONGER LIFE AND HAPPIER GUT, EAT MORE FIBER

Medically reviewed by Natalie Olsen, R.D., L.D., ACSM EP-C — By Sarah Aswell —
Updated on Sep 17, 2018
* The scientific lowdown on fiber
* Get more fiber
* The verdict on fiber

Share on PinterestFood Collection/Offset Images

GET FIERCE WITH FIBER

It’s easy to get caught up in counting calories and grams of added sugars, fats,
proteins, and carbs when you’re trying to eat well. But there’s one nutrient
that too often gets thrown to the wayside: dietary fiber.

Scientists have long known that eating fiber is good for health. Decades ago,
Irish physician (and fiber enthusiast) Denis Burkitt proclaimed, “America is a
constipated nation… if you pass small stools, you have to have large hospitals.”
And yet, years later, many of us are still ignoring our fiber intake.

American adults are only eating an average of 15 grams of fiber on any given
day, despite the daily recommendations from the Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics being:

* 25 grams for women, or 21 grams if over 50 years old
* 38 grams for men, or 30 grams if over 50

Recently, however, fiber has popped up in headlines thanks to people like
journalist Megyn Kelly and model Molly Sims, who have both credited their
physiques on mainlining roughage. And more importantly, new research has been
shedding more light on how fiber helps our bodies. This nutrient has been linked
to fending off disease and reducing the risk of a range of conditions, including
type 2 diabetesTrusted Source, food allergiesTrusted Source, and even knee
arthritis.

Star-studded endorsements aside, it’s not about eating a “high-fiber” diet as
much as it’s simply this: Eat more fiber. Fiber does more than contributing to
weight loss and reducing the risk of disease.

Losing out on those recommended fiber grams per day may significantly change the
way your gut functions. It could even make a difference between weight loss or
none, and longer life or not.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT FIBER TODAY

Many studies have strongly linked high-fiber diets with longer and healthier
lives. For example, Dr. Burkitt, as mentioned above, found in the 1960sTrusted
Source that Ugandans who ate high-fiber vegetable diets avoided many of the
common diseases of Europeans and Americans. In addition, studies in the late
’80s found that long-living rural Japanese populations ate high-fiber diets, as
opposed to urban dwellers with lower fiber intakes.

But only recently have we gained a deeper understanding of why fiber is so vital
to our well-being.

A 2017 studyTrusted Source found that the importance of fiber is intimately tied
with the importance of our gut microbes. A proper fiber diet literally feeds and
makes these bacteria thrive. In turn, they increase in number and kind. The more
microbes we have in our intestines, the thicker the mucus wall and the better
the barrier between our body and our busy bacteria population. While the mucus
barrier lowers inflammation throughout the body, the bacteria aid in digestion,
creating a dual benefit.

A living, walking example of the great connection between fiber, intestinal
bacteria, and health are the Hazda, a Tanzanian tribe that’s one of the last
remaining hunter-gatherer communities in the world. They eat a spectacular 100
grams of fiber a day, all from food sources that are seasonally available. As a
result, their gut biome is packed with diverse populations of bacteria, which
ebb and flow with the changing of the seasons and the changes in their diet.

Your biome can change by the season, by the week, or even by the meal. And if
you eat a large array of fresh fruits, grains, and vegetables, your gut health
will reflect that. Eating low-fiber foods, or eating only a few types of fiber —
such as the same fiber supplement every day — can harm your intestinal biome and
the health of your protective mucus wall.

However, eating too much fiber can cause digestive distress, gas, and intestinal
blockages. The good news is that it’s hard to get too much fiber, especially
since most people don’t get enough. Slowly ramping up your fiber intake can help
you avoid some of the above problems. Not overdoing it will help you avoid the
rest.

HOW TO EAT FIBER LIKE THEY DO IN YUZURIHARA AND TANZANIA

5 HIGH FIBER FOODS YOU SHOULD EAT

5 High Fiber Foods You Should Eat
Fiber is an important nutrient with many health benefits. Watch this video to
learn about the benefits of high fiber foods and why you should add them to your
diet.

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So how can we ditch our constipated ways and eat more in line with how our
bodies have evolved to function alongside our gut biomes? While there are two
types of fiber — soluble fiber and insoluble fiber — high-fiber enthusiasts are
all about both types. Each kind has its own functions and benefits. Getting both
is key to getting the most out of this nutrient.

Here are some quick tips to build a thriving and diverse gut biome and reap the
long-term benefits of a fiber-friendly diet:

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ARE ALWAYS YOUR FRIEND

Fiber is naturally found in all fruits and vegetables. You can’t really go wrong
by adding these components to your daily regime. In fact, one studyTrusted
Source found that simply eating an apple before every meal had significant
health benefits.

EAT WHAT’S IN SEASON

The Hazda have a diverse gut in part by eating seasonally. Always check out your
grocery store’s fresh, in-season fruits and veggies. Not only are they great for
you, but they also often taste better and are less expensive than what’s out of
season.

PROCESSED FOODS USUALLY MEAN LESS FIBER

Refined foods that don’t contain whole grains or whole wheat are also lower in
fiber. This includes white bread and regular pasta. Juicing is also processed in
a sense, since it removes the insoluble fiber from your food. The result is that
you lose fiber’s benefits — especially its important job of regulating digestion
and keeping blood sugar from spiking.

BE THOUGHTFUL AT RESTAURANTS

Restaurants, especially fast-food joints, often skimp on fruits and veggies
because they’re expensive. When looking at the menu, be sure to pick something
rich in fruit, veggies, and beans or legumes that will help you meet your fiber
goals for the day.

TOSS A HIGH-FIBER COMPONENT INTO YOUR MEAL

Next time you have a piece of pizza, make sure to munch on a handful of snap
peas on the side, or add some multigrain crackers if you’re eating soup for
lunch. Eating a high-fiber snack before your meal can also mean eating fewer
calories altogether, because you’ll feel more full.

DON’T FORGET BEANS, PEAS, AND LENTILS

We often remember to eat our fruits and veggies, but legumes are a wonderful and
delicious source of fiber. Try a recipe that puts legumes in the spotlight, like
a three-bean vegetarian chili or a lentil salad.

MAKE SURE FIBER STARTS AT BREAKFAST

Most traditional breakfast foods, like eggs and bacon, lack fiber. Integrate
fiber into the first meal of your day by eating oatmeal or a whole-grain cereal.
You can also simply add a piece of fruit to your regular fare. Eating yogurt for
breakfast? Add sliced fruit and nuts.

EXPLORE THE WORLD OF WHOLE GRAINS

Next time you’re at the grocery store, pick up some amaranth, bulgur, pearl
barley, or wheat berries and start exploring. Other good high-fiber choices are
quinoa (a seed) or whole-wheat couscous (a pasta).

SKIP THE FIBER SUPPLEMENTS

Fiber supplements can give you a small boost, but the benefits of getting your
fiber from whole foods are much greater. What’s more, people taking fiber
supplements might not be pairing them with high-nutrient foods. This causes
rather than solves health issues.

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING

Just like most things, fiber isn’t great in extremely high quantities. Focusing
too much on one aspect of your nutrient intake is neither sustainable nor
healthy, either. Try tracking your fiber intake for a few weeks to see if you’re
getting enough, then tinker with your intake to see if eating a little more
improves how you feel.

FIBER IS FABULOUS WITHOUT THE FAD

At this point, there’s enough science out there to strongly suggest something
you’ve likely heard before: Eating a robust variety of minimally processed
fruits and veggies along with other plant-based foods is a great way to stay
healthy and control your weight — and the fiber in these foods is likely a
central reason why they’re so great for our bodies. So go forth and repopulate
more varieties of bacteria in your gut!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sarah Aswell is a freelance writer who lives in Missoula, Montana, with her
husband and two daughters. Her writing has appeared in publications that include
The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, National Lampoon, and Reductress. You can reach out
to her on Twitter.

Last medically reviewed on January 29, 2018

HOW WE REVIEWED THIS ARTICLE:

Sources
History
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies,
academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using
tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is
accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
* Benno Y, et al. (1989). Comparison of fecal microflora of elderly persons in
rural and urban areas of Japan.
pubmedcentralcanada.ca/pmcc/articles/PMC184260/pdf/aem00098-0060.pdf
* Coffin CS, et al. (2006). The hot air and cold facts of dietary fibre.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2659900/
* Conceição de Oliveira M, et al. (2003). Weight loss associated with a daily
intake of three apples or three pears among overweight women. DOI:
10.1016/S0899-9007(02)00850-X
* Dai Z, et al. (2017). Dietary intake of fibre and risk of knee osteoarthritis
in two US prospective cohorts. DOI:
10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-210810
* Increasing fiber intake. (n.d.).
ucsfhealth.org/education/increasing_fiber_intake/
* Larson H. (2017). Easy ways to boost fiber in your daily diet.
eatright.org/resource/food/vitamins-and-supplements/types-of-vitamins-and-nutrients/ways-to-boost-fiber
* Stanford University Medical Center. (2017). Hunter-gatherers’ seasonal
gut-microbe diversity loss echoes our permanent one [Press release].
eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-08/sumc-hsg082117.php
* Tan J, et al. (2016). Dietary fiber and bacterial SCFA enhance oral tolerance
and protect against food allergy through diverse cellular pathways. DOI:
10.1016/j.celrep.2016.05.047
* Tobias DK, et al (2015). Effect of low-fat diet interventions versus other
diet interventions on long-term weight change in adults: A systematic review
and meta-analysis. DOI:
10.1016/S2213-8587(15)00367-8
* Wang P-U, et al. (2015). Higher intake of fruits, vegetables or their fiber
reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. DOI:
10.1111/jdi.12376
* Wu Y, et al. (2015). Association between dietary fiber intake and risk of
coronary heart disease. DOI:
10.1016/j.clnu.2014.05.009
* Yang Y, et al. (2015). Association between dietary fiber and lower risk of
all-cause mortality. DOI:
10.1093/aje/kwu257
* Zou J, et al. (2017). Fiber-mediated nourishment of gut microbiota protects
against diet-induced obesity by restoring IL-22-mediated colonic health. DOI:
10.1016/j.chom.2017.11.003

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our
articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Sep 17, 2018

Written By

Sarah Aswell

Edited By

Frank Crooks

Jan 29, 2018

Medically Reviewed By

Natalie Olsen, RD, LD, ACSM EP-C

Share this article

Medically reviewed by Natalie Olsen, R.D., L.D., ACSM EP-C — By Sarah Aswell —
Updated on Sep 17, 2018

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