What is Fiber?

If scientists were to discover fiber today, it would be hailed as a miracle ingredient. This extraordinary substance —found naturally in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and other plant foods—plays a significant role in improving and maintaining the health of the whole body. In addition to promoting healthy digestive function and bowel regularity, fiber can help lower the risk of developing heart disease and high cholesterol, and it even plays a vital role in weight management.

Nearly every poorly functioning digestive tract can benefit from an increase in fiber. Studies have shown that once fiber enters the digestive tract, it interacts with other foods and substances you consume, helping to absorb and eliminate harmful toxins that may otherwise have been ingested and stored in the body. In addition, fiber is a significant food source for the beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract that support healthy immune function.

How Much Fiber Do You Need?

The majority of health experts recommend consuming between 25 and 35 grams of fiber every day, but statistics show that the average American adult consumes less than half of that number. Eating a diet high in fiber can help reverse this trend and promote health and regularity, but for many people it may be difficult to get more fiber through diet alone. The recommended 25 to 35 grams is roughly equivalent to 15 servings of fruits, vegetables or grains. If you don’t typically eat that many servings of fiber-rich foods, adding a natural fiber supplement to your diet may help you reach your goal.

Choosing the Right Fiber Supplement

The best way to get enough fiber is the way nature intended: through your diet. When you consume the recommended 25 to 35 grams daily through a diet rich in high-fiber foods, you receive a natural balance of approximately 75% insoluble fiber to 35% soluble (water-soluble) fiber, and each type is important to your health. Soluble fiber helps absorb toxins in the liver and the digestive tract, and insoluble fiber helps to sweep the colon free of toxins and waste, promoting regular, healthy bowel movements as a result.

Flax-based fiber supplements are a beneficial choice because they mimic this natural balance of soluble and insoluble fiber. Psyllium-based fiber supplements, however, provide the opposite balance and may cause gas, bloating and constipation.

Organically Grown vs. Commercially Grown Fiber

Choosing organically grown foods instead of commercially grown foods is always a better choice, and fiber is no exception. One of the primary benefits of fiber is that it helps remove toxins from your body, so eating fiber commercially grown that has been treated with pesticides and other harsh chemicals is self-defeating. Always try to choose organic fiber sources, whether from food or fiber supplements.

7 Reasons to Increase Your Fiber Intake

1. Fiber supports healthy digestion and promotes bowel regularity
2. Fiber assists with the elimination of intestinal and liver toxin
3. Fiber provides a food source for beneficial intestinal bacteria
4. Fiber helps maintain cardiovascular health
5. Fiber helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels
6. Fiber helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels
7. Fiber supports healthy weight management