13 Health Benefits of Eating More Fiber

Benefits of High Fiber Foods

Studies show fiber helps protect us from several chronic diseases and health issues. These include:

● Diabetes: Fiber helps control blood sugar levels, which is crucial for those with diabetes. Soluble fiber, found in oats, legumes, and fruits, slows down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. With these foods you don’t get that sudden spike in blood glucose level (Manetti, 2022).

● Colon Cancer: The indigestible fibers act as a kind of “nature’s broom” to clean your intestines removing the bad stuff from your colon like bacteria and other buildup. This reduces your risk of colon cancer, a leading cause of death.

● Breast Cancer: A study found that women who eat the highest amounts of fiber were 8 times less likely to develop breast cancer than women who consumed the lowest amounts. Researchers believe this is due to the fiber’s ability to lower blood sugar and decrease estrogenlevels (HSPH, 2020).

● Stomach Cancer: Studies show that fiber is inversely related tostomach cancer. So the higher your fiber intake, the lower your likelihood of stomach cancer (Zhang et al., 2013).

● Heart Disease: Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States and worldwide. Eating a diet rich in fiber lowers LDL cholesterol, a leading cause of heart disease (Soiman, 2019).

● Metabolic syndrome: Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. The conditions include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and abdominal obesity. A high-fiber diet helps with all of these.

● Diverticulosis: Diverticulosis is when small bulges develop in the large intestine and become inflamed and infected. Studies show a link between diverticulosis and not eating enough fiber (Crowe et al., 2014)

● Constipation: Perhaps fiber’s best-known benefit, it’s the insoluble fiber that helps relieve constipation. This is found in foods like wheat bran, nuts, beans, cauliflower, and green beans.

● Hemorrhoids: Eating more fiber lowers the chances of getting hemorrhoids.

Other benefits of eating more fiber include:

● Healthy gut microbiome: Certain types of fiber act as prebiotics, providing nourishment to beneficial bacteria in our digestive system. Having a diverse and thriving gut microbiome strengthens your immune system and protects against chronic diseases like diabetes and metabolic syndrome (Cronin et al., 2021)

● Mental health: Studies suggest that a high fiber diet lowers the risk of depression and anxiety. It’s believed this is because fiber improves gut health and lowers inflammation in the digestive system, which in turn influences mood due to the link between your gut and your brain (Swann et al., 2020).

● Weight control: Eating fiber makes you feel full faster and for longer and reduces cravings, so you’re more likely to eat less (Manetti, 2022).

● Saves money: Not only is constipation uncomfortable and unhealthy, but it can also be expensive. One study found that eating more fiber can save Americans $12.7 billion on healthcare costs and medication related to constipation (Quagliani & Felt-Gunderson, 2017).