If you feel bloated, yet can’t go, fiber has always been the go to nutrient to get you going. However, fiber does many other things for the body, too. There are two types of fiber. The first is soluble fiber. It dissolves when mixed with water and creates a gel material that helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Insoluble fiber isn’t digested. It increases bulk and helps with constipation.
Fiber gives you a feeling of satiety, which is a real help if you’re trying to shed weight.
If weight loss is a goal, eating high-fiber foods can help. They fill you up without filling you out since they’re lower in calories. That feeling of fullness lasts far longer than you’d get from eating a high sugary carb, since fiber rich foods help control blood sugar levels. While those sugary products will give you a boost of energy almost immediately, you’ll be craving more quickly as your blood sugar level crashes. Controlling blood sugar levels is one way to keep your appetite and weight in control.
High fiber foods boost your healthy bacteria and gut health.
Your body has a huge number of bacteria and microbes that are important for gut health. They help to make nutrients bio-available to the body. Fiber acts as a prebiotic, providing a healthy environment and nutrition for the good bacteria. Fiber ferments in the colon by the bacteria. The product brings healthy results from the fatty acids that result that benefit the lining of the colon. This fermentation also produces byproducts that help kill the bad bacteria and pathogens that cause illness.
You’ll stay healthier with fiber in your diet.
Of course, weight loss may be the top priority for you and a diet with adequate fiber certainly helps, but it also can provide protection for many other health benefits, besides lowering cholesterol and maintaining blood sugar levels, although that’s quite a lot. By protecting the mucosal lining of the gastrointestinal wall, it helps prevent colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome and other inflammatory diseases of the bowel.
- Food that contains soluble fiber include oats, peas, beans, strawberries, apples, citrus fruits, rice bran and barley. They help you go by attracting water and keeping your stool soft and easy to pass.
- Insoluble fiber provides the bulk that also gives your colon a boost in the bathroom, which is also one of the reasons that food high in insoluble fiber, like crucifers, green beans, whole wheat flour and nuts help reduce the risk of colon cancer.
- Fiber is particularly good for weight loss for people with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. That’s because of its ability to regulate blood sugar.
- Studies show that increasing your dietary fiber can extend your life. Cereal fiber is especially good for lowering the risk for cardiovascular disease. Don’t worry about overeating fiber, your body will tell you when you have too much by getting gassy and bloating.