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Fiber is not a powdery substance to be dissolved in water - it is found in delicious foods.
Dietary fiber is a nutrient consisting of non-digestible carbohydrates from plants. Fiber is different from other carbohydrates including starches and sugars.
Dietary fibers escape digestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract and are fermented by bacteria in the colon. Dietary fibers are diverse and complex in their chemical composition and for simplicity are grouped in soluble and non-soluble.
Some forms of fiber are digested by the gut microbiota and produce bioactive metabolites called short chain fatty acids, which have diverse physiological roles in the body and have been connected to numerous health benefits. A fiber-deficient diet essentially starves the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
Other forms of fiber thicken the fecal mass and help food move through the digestive system.
There is growing realization that eating fiber impacts the human physiology through a variety of mechanisms and protects us from numerous common chronic conditions ranging from high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases to cancer and diabetes.
The good news is that getting dietary fiber is easy. All plants contain dietary fiber, albeit in different concentrations. Unless supplements are recommended by your healthcare professional, the best way to take fiber is to eat a fiber-rich diet where whole foods provide a variety of fiber, vitamins, minerals and other healthful nutrients.
The even better news is that fiber-rich foods are delicious: lentil soups, berries, seeds and nuts over a salad taste great and make you feel great.
If you want to check whether your fiber-rich diet is making your gut microbe thrive, our home gut-health test measures a meaningful indicator of microbial metabolic activity.
Source
The importance of dietary fiber for metabolic health. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. (2023). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10498976/
Fiber intake for optimal health: how can healthcare professionals support people to reach dietary recommendations? The BMJ. (2022). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9298262/
