Scientists May Have Figured Out Why Fiber Is So Good for You

May 15, 2018 by apost team

It's a well-known fact that people who eat plenty of fiber tend to be healthier than people who don't. Eating a diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts lowers a person's risk of developing chronic inflammation and all the diseases associated with inflammation, such as diabetes and cancer.

People who eat plenty of fiber are even less likely to be obese than people who don't.
 

But why? What exactly makes fiber so healthy? In the past, scientists have had a hard time answering this question.
 

Now, though, they may have found the answer.

Let's recap the basics of fiber. Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the human body can't digest. It's found in unprocessed, plant-based foods, like veggies, beans, oats, and brown rice. Dietary fiber passes through the body more or less unchanged since the body can't turn it into fuel.

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But that doesn't mean fiber isn't useful. You can't digest it, but the friendly bacteria in your gut can. In fact, your microbiome loves fiber - and the more of it you eat, the happier those bacteria are. A high-fiber diet helps you develop a healthy microbiome, while a low-fiber diet does the opposite.

Recent studies have found that fiber's health benefits may be a direct result of how it affects the microbiome. Researchers at Georgia State University tried putting healthy mice on a high-fat, low-fiber diet to observe the changes in the mice's gut bacteria. They found that it took only a few days for the mice to experience a significant negative change in their intestinal microbes. The mice then started to experience numerous adverse health effects, such as inflammation, increased blood sugar, and weight gain.

The researchers also tried feeding a different group of mice a high-fat diet along with fiber supplements. These mice had very different results. Although they were eating the same unhealthy high-fat diet as the first group of mice, the fiber supplements appeared to protect them from negative health consequences. They didn't gain weight, and their intestines stayed healthy.

These findings raise another question: why do microbes matter so much for good health?

One answer is that, after they digest dietary fiber, friendly microbes produce short-chain fatty acids - a useful nutrient - as a byproduct. Another answer is that gut microbes may be involved in chemical signaling, which helps to keep the cells of the intestines healthy.

These findings are promising, but more research needs to be done on gut microbes in humans to learn more about why fiber is so beneficial. Over time, researchers will be able to collect more data on exactly what fiber does in the gut and how it helps to build a healthy microbiome.

Are you inspired to include more fiber in your diet now? We'd love to hear your thoughts on this article! If you think these findings are important, let your friends and family know so they can improve their health, too.

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!