Why is Fiber good for you?
Fiber is a non-digestible form of a carbohydrate that is derived from plants and is usually of the polysaccharide group. This includes non-starch polysaccharides like cellulose, pectin, resistant starch etc. Fiber can also be classified into a soluble and insoluble fiber that is derived from fruits/ vegetables and cereals/whole grains respectively. Recent research has pointed to the various health benefits when including adequate fiber in your diet, we will review them as follows:
Daily fiber intake:
30-35 g/day for men and 25-32 g/day for women.
NHANES(National health and Nutrition Exam Survey) - suggests that Americans are getting less than their recommended intake of fiber when compared to their European counterparts.
Effects on the Health of the Gut:
Dietary fiber was very beneficial in promoting gut mobility and thereby preventing constipation.
Fiber intake also helps with the health of the gut flora or our microbiome- this consists of organisms that help maintain optimal health.
The intake of dietary fiber serves as a prebiotic or food source for healthy organisms that in turn play a role in our physiological functions, metabolic health, immune function, and in decreasing chronic inflammation.
It is a well-recognized fact that chronic inflammation fuels diseases that include - heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, stroke, cancers and inflammatory states. Gut health is very important in maintaining homeostasis within our bodies.
Gut dysbiosis( an imbalance in these organisms caused by diet, lifestyle) plays a role in fueling various disease states.
A decrease in fiber intake in our diets can in turn cause a breakdown of protective mucosal barriers that can cause absorption of toxins, and fuel inflammatory states.
Therefore, dietary fiber helps us maintain a protective intestinal barrier that preserves good health.
Weight management, Diabetes, and metabolic health:
Dietary fiber helps with weight control and helps regulate the releases of sugar from the food we eat during digestion. This helps with diabetic control.
Dietary fiber may also play a role in decreasing insulin resistance which is very prevalent with an inflammatory diet and overweight states.
Fiber plays an important role in increasing insulin sensitivity. Data from ProFiMet showed that people with high fiber diets had an increased insulin sensitivity.
A high fiber diet was also associated with an improvement of Hemoglobin A1c( a parameter for Diabetes), Body weight, lipids, and inflammatory markers.
Depression prevention/ Mental health:
Fiber intake when lower than normal can have a negative effect on mental health.
Inflammation has been postulated as the link between dietary fiber intake and development of depression.
A high fiber diet helps protect from obesity and chronic inflammation. Consumption of a high fiber intake was associated with lower levels of inflammatory markers like Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1(PAI-1) and Resistin.
It is hypothesized that the alteration of the inflammatory markers in a positive manner could possibly exert their effect on neurotransmitter levels that play an important role in mental health.
The SMILES Trial showed that implementation of a modified Mediterranean diet in patients with depressive symptoms and poor diets, showed improvement in depressive symptoms when compared to controls.
Fiber is very crucial in our diet. Science also points to its role in Heart health and Cancer prevention. Having elaborated about fiber in the above sections, I would recommend that you choose the food you eat wisely and live long and strong!
