Fiber is a bona fide nutritional superstar. It plays a key role in various
important physical processes like increasing your satiety, keeping you
regular, and helping maintain good heart health, and it can even
promote weight loss when you chow down on sufficient amounts. Only
issue is, even though fiber is undeniably important, you may accidentally
be skimping on your intake.
“Nine out of 10 Americans are not eating enough fiber,” Ashvini Mashru,
R.D., L.D.N., author of Small Steps to Slim, tells SELF. She’s referring to a
July 2014 report in the journal Nutrients, which says Americans have
“persistent and alarmingly low intakes of fiber.” (For full disclosure, the study received a funding grant from Kellogg Company.) A March 2013 study in the American Heart Association‘s journal Stroke also found that “most people do not get the recommended level of fiber.” Luckily, the very simple solution to this problem involves filling your plate with fresh, wholesome foods. Read on to learn what fiber is, how it keeps you healthy, and how to get enough of it in your diet.
What exactly is fiber?
Fiber is a carbohydrate found in plant-based foods like produce and whole
grains, Shilpa Ravella, M.D., a gastroenterologist with expertise in nutrition
and an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, tells SELF. But fiber differs from other carbohydrates in an essential way: your body can’t break it down and absorb it. “Fiber is the part of plant foods that is not digested by the small intestine,” says Ravella. That means it can do a few unique things other nutrients can’t.
There are two main forms of fiber: soluble and insoluble. In the body, soluble fiber dissolves and helps make a gel-like substance, says Ravella. That gel-like material can help lower your “bad” cholesterol, according to Mayo Clinic. Some of the best sources of soluble fiber are barley, oatmeal, beans, nuts, and fruits like apples and pears, says Mashru. (Most foods with a lot of fiber have both
types, but they usually have more of one than the other, notes Ravella.)
Insoluble fiber doesn’t undergo a similar transformation when it comes into
contact with water, but it does add bulk to food and soak up water as it goes through your digestive system. “That can increase pressure on colonic walls and help stimulate bowel movements,” says Ravella. You can load up on insoluble fiber via whole grains and vegetables like carrots, celery, and
tomatoes, says Mashru.
How much fiber should you get each day?
Women between the ages of 19 and 30 should try to consume at least 28
grams of fiber per day, according to the United States Department of
Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines. That number drops to 25 grams between
the ages of 31 and 50.
“I would recommend aiming for at least the recommended daily fiber intake, but ideally you should include as many minimally processed plant foods in your diet as you can,” says Ravella. “It’s hard to construct a diet with ‘too much’ fiber as long as you are getting fiber from whole foods rather
than supplements.” If you’re looking for more high-fiber foods, here are some suggestions to get you started.
Keep in mind that items like meat and dairy don’t naturally contain fiber. And while things like white bread and pasta maystart out with fiber, the refining process removes a lot of it, so those options aren’t as nutritionally rich as their whole-grain counterparts. “In general, the more natural and unprocessed the food, the higher it is in fiber,” says Mashru.
Getting more fiber is a great goal to have, but it can also throw your digestive system for a loop. “It can take your body time to adjust if you’re going from a low-fiber to a high-fiber diet. Increasing the fiber in your diet can initially cause gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, gas, diarrhea, [and constipation],” says Ravella. Upping your water intake is an easy way to reduce that kind of discomfort, explains Mashru. “Fiber absorbs water, so the more fiber you add to your diet, the
more fluids you should drink,” says Mashru.
OK, so how are fiber and weight loss related?
Fiber is a non-negotiable part of living a healthy life, whether you want to lose weight or not. But it can be especially useful if you’re looking to shed some pounds. “Fiber adds bulk to your diet, a key factor in both losing weight and maintaining [a healthy one],” says Mashru. That extra volume can help you feel satisfied sooner, and since fiber stays in your system longer than many other nutrients, it can also help you feel fuller longer, she explains.
Fiber offers a few other weight-related bonuses. “High-fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables tend to be low in calories,” says Mashru. The nutrient also helps regulate your blood sugar, which is part of why refined carbohydrates like cookies that have had a lot of fiber removed can lead to intense blood sugar spikes.
In addition, fiber may also help sort out your gut microbiome, or the collection of bacteria that keeps your stomach healthy and could be related to your weight. “We are increasingly learning that the makeup of gut bacteria can play an important role in weight management,” says Ravella. “Generally speaking, soluble fiber is fermented by gut bacteria—though some insoluble fiber can be
fermented, too—and promotes the growth and maintenance of beneficial gut bacteria,” she says.
The bottom line? Give fiber a slot high up on your list of nutritional priorities. Just remember to drink enough water throughout the day, and you should be golden.
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