Here, we’ve outlined all the amazing benefits fiber has to offer—plus, how to achieve and maintain your fiber goals through diet and supplementation. There are two main categories of fiber: Soluble fiber becomes a gel-like substance during digestion and helps collect and remove unwanted compounds (e.g., environmental toxins, cholesterol, extra hormones, waste) from the body. Insoluble fiber helps “get things moving”—i.e., it makes up the bulk of stool, promotes gut motility, and assists elimination. “Fiber is food for the many microbiota living in your gut,” says integrative registered dietitian Whitney Crouch, RDN, CLT. The colonies of microbes in your gut need adequate premium-grade “fuel” (i.e., prebiotic fibers) to help them grow and thrive. Fermentable fibers from complex carbohydrates (e.g., legumes, ginger, sweet potato, and flaxseeds) are the plant fodder needed to promote the composition and function of healthy gut microbiota.* “Fiber is a specific source of food for endogenous bacteria (i.e., the bacteria present in your gut) and also for probiotics that you take for gut health. The bacteria can feed on the complex carbohydrates in fiber, then produce postbiotics like short-chain fatty acids, aka SCFAs (which also contribute to gut health),”* Michael Lelah, Ph.D., chief science officer at NutriScience®, explains. The Nutrients review also details the association between diets low in fiber-rich foods (i.e., fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, etc.) and reduced microbial diversity in the gut. Translation? If abundance and diversity of the gut microbial system is the goal (and it should be), then regular and adequate plant fiber consumption is key. Both types of fiber are essential to maintaining a healthy digestive system: Soluble fiber helps build stool “bulk,” while insoluble fiber helps speed up transit time, registered dietitian Jess Cording, M.S., R.D., CDN, explains. Per a 2018 Advances in Nutrition review, butyrate is especially beneficial for sustaining intestinal barrier function5 and mucosal immunity and resilience of the gut lining, which covers significant surface area inside our bodies and is the second line of immune defense (after the skin). In fact, most of your immune system is located in your gut—approximately 70% to 80%6 of immune cells reside in the GI tract, according to a 2021 Nutrients review!* Prebiotic fibers and probiotics are integral in sustaining healthy gut-immune function by supporting the integrity and resilience of the gut lining, promoting SCFA synthesis, and bolstering gut microbiome diversity and abundance.* In fact, a 2015 study from the Saudi Journal of Gastroenterology found that guar bean fiber (the type of fiber featured in mindbodygreen’s organic fiber potency+) helps reduce colonic transit time and increase the frequency and quality of bowel movements.* Simply put, getting adequate fiber is key to maintaining healthy stool form, color, and frequency.* Guar bean fiber, specifically, has been found to increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol as well: In a 2016 Journal of Functional Foods study, healthy subjects saw a decrease in triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels and a significant increase in HDL cholesterol8 after taking 6 grams of guar fiber with every meal (three times a day) for one year.* If you’re experiencing gas and bloat, you may want to try upping your daily fiber intake—it can help soothe your stomach by encouraging healthy bowel movements and gut motility. Compared to other soluble fibers, guar bean fiber produces more of the SCFA butyrate, which plays an important role in satiety hormone synthesis11, according to a 2015 study from the British Journal of Nutrition.* Whether eaten fresh or in a supplement powder (like mbg’s organic fiber potency+), guar beans deliver substantial dietary soluble fiber to support healthy butyrate production and appetite regulation.* While there’s no tolerable upper limit for fiber intake, side effects can occur in certain individuals, such as those that have preexisting gut health issues or increase their dietary fiber intake too rapidly. Crouch recommends drinking 8 ounces of water for every 25 grams of fiber to proactively avoid unwanted side effects. Crouch says the most effective and nutrient-rich way to achieve your fiber intake goals is to include eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. She adds that limiting processed foods and choosing fruits and veggies with skin on (when appropriate) instead of peeled is another helpful way to up your fiber intake. If you’re struggling to reach your dietary fiber intake through diet alone, you may benefit from a quality fiber supplement like mindbodygreen’s organic fiber potency+. “Anyone who has worked on their diet foundation first to reach the minimum recommended intake, or who has early satiety when eating a nutrient-rich diet, still needs more fiber,” Crouch explains. This is where a supplement can be a beneficial addition to your daily regimen.* mindbodygreen’s organic fiber potency+ delivers 6 grams of insoluble, soluble, and prebiotic fiber (i.e., 21% of your daily fiber needs) from guar bean, green kiwifruit, and a mushroom trio (reishi, maitake, and oyster), plus a targeted probiotic strain for added gut health support!*
