Big reasons you should be eating more fiber

What if getting plenty of a certain nutrient could help you manage your cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight? What if it could also reduce your chances of several chronic health conditions—from heart disease to type 2 diabetes—and even premature death?

Eating enough fiber may do all that and more. Here’s what to know about this important nutrient.

Fiber basics

There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Most plant-based foods contain some of each.

• Soluble fiber dissolves in water. It prevents your body from fully absorbing dietary fat and cholesterol. This can help lower your low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) count. It also slows food digestion, which helps to manage blood sugar levels and keeps you feeling fuller, longer after eating a meal. This, in turn, can help you maintain a healthy weight.
• Insoluble fiber feeds the bacteria that make up the bulk of your stool, which keeps things moving through your digestive system.

Animal-based foods like meat and dairy products don’t contain fiber. It primarily appears in nature in plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and beans. Because of this, fiber-rich foods often contain other beneficial nutrients, such as antioxidants and high-quality plant proteins.

"Fiber is a marker for good, healthy foods," says Robert Breakey, MD, a family medicine specialist in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "People who eat higher fiber do better because of what comes with it." It’s a big reason fiber is often linked to lower disease risk. A healthy overall diet that includes plenty of fiber helps to reduce the chances of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers, including colorectal cancer.

What’s more, as fiber travels through your body, it feeds your gut microbiome, home to trillions of microbial cells that nourish the colon, eliminate toxins, produce nutrients, balance hormones, lower inflammation, and support your immune system. If you don’t feed the microbiome properly, harmful bacteria grow, which can lead to a variety of illnesses. "We say a pregnant woman is eating for two," says Dr. Breakey, "but we should really think that each of us is eating for 30 trillion and one."

Fiber in your diet

It’s wise to ask a healthcare provider how much fiber you should aim for each day. That’s because the amount you need for good health depends on your age, sex, health status, and other personal factors.

The vast majority of people in the United States don’t eat enough fiber. That’s largely because processed foods make up more than half of our diets, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Generally speaking, the more heavily processed the food, the less fiber it contains.

If you don’t get much fiber, increasing your intake may seem daunting. Breakey advises starting slowly. "Even moving from the standard American diet to eating an extra serving of vegetables a day is progress," he says. "Every time you eat, it’s an opportunity to eat something better."

Adding too much fiber too quickly may cause a few unpleasant side effects like bloating, flatulence, or gas. If you experience any of these, add fiber-rich foods to your diet slowly and be sure to drink plenty of water. Once your body gets used to more fiber, you may find it easier to gradually increase the amount you eat.

If you're considering a fiber supplement, speak with a healthcare provider first. Breakey says that a supplement would only provide fiber from a single plant product. It won’t bring with it the nutrients you get from eating a variety of whole, fiber-rich foods. He advises reserving fiber supplements for the occasional bout of constipation, which is also a sign of a diet that’s too low in fiber. Once the supplement helps clear things out, aim to add more whole foods that are naturally high in fiber.

A high-fiber diet plan

Increasing your daily fiber intake can be as simple as starting to add a vegetable or fruit to every meal. Here’s what a sample high-fiber day might look like.

Breakfast

• 1 cup shredded wheat cereal (with no sugar) (6.1 grams)
• Milk (0 grams)
• Coffee or tea (0 grams)
• 1/2 cup raspberries (4 grams)

TOTAL: 10.1 grams

Lunch

Sandwich made with:

• 2 slices 100% whole wheat or grain bread (3.8 grams)
• 1/2 cup avocado (4.9 grams)
• 1/2 cup tomato (1.1 grams)
• Cheese or turkey (0 grams)
• Banana (3.1 grams)

TOTAL: 12.9 grams

Snack

• 1 ounce almonds (3.5 grams)
• 1/2 cup dried apricots (4.5 grams)

TOTAL: 8 grams

Dinner

• Chicken (0 grams)
• 1 cup roasted broccoli (5.1 grams)
• 1 medium baked potato with skin (4 grams)
• Butter or sour cream (0 grams)
• 1 slice store-bought cherry pie (1 gram)

TOTAL: 10.1 grams

DAILY TOTAL: 41 grams

As time goes on, continue to replace any food lacking fiber with whole plant-based alternatives to increase the amount of fiber you eat per day.

What about fruit?

Fruit contains some sugar, which you may have heard isn’t healthy for you. But it’s eating too much added sugar—the kind found in processed foods like candy and breakfast cereals—that often leads to health problems. Naturally sweet fruit, on the other hand, is an important part of a healthy diet and can provide a significant amount of fiber.

"The difference is that this is a natural form of sugar that comes along with everything else nature provided in that fruit," says Breakey. "The fiber, the complex carbohydrates, the proteins, even small amounts of fat—everything else in that strawberry or apple slows the digestion of the sugar and this makes whole fruits a very healthy food."

If you’re trying a low-carb diet

Low-carbohydrate diets such as the Atkins and keto diets have become a popular way to lose weight. Because fiber is a type of carbohydrate, low-carb diets can make it difficult for you to eat enough to reap its benefits—and nearly impossible if you are striving for a high fiber intake.

While these plans restrict your total carbohydrate intake (and may even banish whole grains and beans completely), they do allow you to eat certain vegetables and fruits, as well as nuts. Still, for those seeking to increase their fiber intake, these diets likely will not match your health goals. Weight loss, blood sugar control, and vitality may be better achieved with a healthy diet focused on whole foods.