Fiber is one of the most important nutrients around. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ current recommendations call for 25 grams of fiber daily for women and 38 grams per day for men.
And yet, a whopping 95% of Americans aren’t getting the recommended daily amounts. Our national love affair with fast food and other highly processed foods — which are typically lacking in this essential nutrient — are partly responsible.
There are two types of fiber
Fiber comes in two varieties — soluble and insoluble. They share some similarities and both are beneficial to your health. When you eat a food that contains fiber, the fiber doesn’t get broken down and absorbed by your digestive system the way other nutrients do. And that’s by design. As the two types of fiber pass through your body — undigested — they perform slightly different functions.
Soluble fiber can dissolve in liquid (including the fluids found inside your digestive tract). As it dissolves, the fiber turns into a gel-like substance that can slow down digestion. When the fiber makes it to the colon, it provides food for the good bacteria in your gut. This encourages the growth of more healthy gut bacteria.
Insoluble fiber’s main job is to bulk up your stool. While it passes through the digestive system, mostly intact, it absorbs fluid and collects other digested materials to form feces.
Health benefits of soluble fiber
Both soluble and insoluble fiber are important for your health. And many foods do contain both. But as you work on adding more fiber to your diet, there are some good reasons to make sure the foods you choose are providing an extra boost of soluble fiber.
Health benefits specific to soluble fiber include:
- Better blood sugar control: Foods that contain soluble fiber can slow down your body’s absorption of sugar. This helps you avoid sudden spikes in blood sugar that can happen when you eat something that’s super sweet. Soluble fiber can not only help you maintain healthier blood sugar levels if you have diabetes, it can also help lower your risk of developing the condition.
- Healthier gut bacteria: A healthy gut has been linked to all sorts of positive outcomes — including lowering inflammation throughout the body. Soluble fiber feeds the healthy bacteria in your gut and helps them multiply.
- Improved digestion: Getting adequate amounts of soluble fiber can help manage both constipation and diarrhea.
- Lower cholesterol: As soluble fiber passes through your digestive system, it picks up cholesterol and helps clear it out of the body.
- Reduced risk of heart disease: Lowering cholesterol is an important way to also lower your risk of heart disease.
- Weight management: Soluble fiber and weight management are closely connected. Because foods rich in soluble fiber digest more slowly, they can help you feel fuller longer. This can reduce cravings and prevent overeating.
Foods that are good sources of soluble fiber
The good news is that there are dozens of delicious foods that can add valuable soluble fiber to your diet. Try to aim for 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber per day. To up your soluble fiber intake, stock up on these foods — each of which includes 1 gram or more of soluble fiber per serving:
- Apples
- Avocadoes
- Bananas
- Barley
- Beans (black, pinto, kidney)
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Chickpeas
- Oatmeal
- Oranges
- Strawberries
When you seek out good sources of soluble fiber, you’re doing yourself a favor. Keep these foods in your regular rotation, and you’ll see benefits to many aspects of your health.
