It’s no secret that fiber is an essential component of a healthy diet – and researchers have found yet another reason to thicken your plate with roughage. A recent study published in American Society of Microbiology find something Increasing food intake for a short period of time can have a major impact on the digestive system.
Graduate students at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) were instructed to consume ten unprocessed, fiber-rich meals each week – for a total of 25 grams of fiber per day, on average – for two consecutive weeks, together with the collection of their own stool samples to track their intestinal microbial composition. At the conclusion of the 14-day experiment, the teachers found that the students’ intestinal flora had been “significantly altered”, which included an increase in a group of beneficial Bifidobacterium bacteria.
“Right now during a pandemic, when we need our immune health and healthy responses to the vaccine, we encourage everyone to think about the diversity of plants in their diets and add some beans, berries and avocados where they can,” said Katrine Whiteson, associate professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at the UCI Microbiome Initiative, in a press release.
The study authors noted that the average American consumes approximately less than 50% of the recommended fiber levels, while the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans label fiber as one of the “dietary components of public health concern for the population. of the United States “. (Related: The 7 healthiest foods to eat now).
“Lack of fiber means that the gut microbiome is not optimized and research is beginning to understand all of the myriad health consequences associated with the gut microbiome, including its immune system,” said Julie Upton, MS, RD, founding partner in marketing of nutrition and the communications company AFH Consulting.
How much fiber should you eat daily?
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics advises women to consume about 25 grams of fiber per day and men to consume about 38 grams (or 14 grams for every 1,000 calories) daily. Since dietary fiber is found in plant foods, Upton adds that the reason why most Americans have a limited fiber intake is due to the high consumption of processed meals and low consumption of fruits and vegetables. It also points to a possible pitfall that can occur if you are a fan of a low-carb lifestyle.
“People on low-carb diets can often get clogged with protein and fat and forget that the foundation of healthier low-carb plans, like an Atkins 100 plan, is based on vegetables – not loads of meat and other animal proteins,” she says.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests exchanging high-fiber foods, such as opting for steel-cut oats instead of a bowl of sugary cereals and choosing whole-wheat pasta over white pasta. In addition, the academy recommends adding more fiber-rich fruits, including raspberries and pears, and vegetables like peas and broccoli to your plate.
“Cutting fibers can have serious long-term health consequences,” adds Upton. Here, we offer five reasons why you might want to make fiber your friend, so don’t miss 9 warning signs that you’re not eating enough fiber.
If your diet lacks fiber, you may feel …
When your fiber intake increases, the scale is likely to decrease. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition examined the effects of fiber on the loss of unwanted pounds among participants who followed a calorie restriction diet plan for six months. Even when compared to other macronutrients, including “good” fats (like polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids), dietary fiber helped promote weight loss, as well as helping overweight and obese volunteers maintain a healthier lifestyle.
“It’s simple – fiber keeps you sated longer and reduces your cravings for carbohydrates,” says Upton.
Yes, your intestinal health may be associated with your emotional state. Medical researchers from the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) investigated the possible links between dietary fiber and women of various ages and stages of life. The study, which involved more than 5,800 women and was published in the journal Menopause, found that the risk of depression in pre-menopausal women can be affected by fiber consumption.
Although more research is needed, the researchers believe that fiber promotes a diverse intestinal microbiome, which in turn can produce neurotransmitters. As to why postmenopausal women did not benefit from this gut-brain interaction, the authors believe that the answer lies in estrogen depletion, since estrogen is a factor in the balance of the intestinal microbiota.
“However, it has never been so true that ‘you are what you eat’, given that what we eat has a profound effect on the intestinal microbiome, which appears to play a key role in health and disease,” said Dr. Stephanie Faubion , Medical Director of NAMS, in a press release.
In a meta-analysis that examined the results of 18 studies, authors from the University of Cambridge noted that volunteers who consumed the greatest amount of fiber – mainly from cereals and vegetables –each day (an average of 26 grams) reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 18% compared to those who ate a small amount of fiber (19 grams or less). However, when the researchers added the body mass index (BMI) to the equation, fiber made no more difference, leading experts to believe that fiber may be associated with maintaining a healthy body weight, which plays a key role in diabetes prevention.
“Fiber slows the release of sugar from the blood into the bloodstream, helping to keep your energy levels more stable over time,” adds Upton.
Researchers in Europe analyzed an impressive amount of data – 185 observational studies and 58 clinical trials spanning a 40-year period – that involved healthy adults. They focused on premature deaths caused by various conditions, including cardiovascular disease, such as coronary heart disease, as well as cardiovascular events, such as stroke, and calculated that every 8 grams of fiber increase daily can result in a 5- 27% less from suffering from (or dying from) coronary heart disease, among other possibly fatal diseases.
“Fiber helps to retain and excrete health-damaging cholesterol, so it’s one of the reasons why people on high-fiber diets tend to have a lower risk of coronary heart disease,” says Upton.
While eating more fiber-rich foods means taking more trips to the bathroom, it can also be a sign that there will be more birthday cakes in the future. In an article published in The Journals of Gerontology who used data from more than 1,600 adults over 50, medical researchers in Australia found that fiber intake had the strongest effect on successful aging – a term that describes the undiagnosed functional impairment, depressive symptoms, disability cognitive impairment, respiratory symptoms, and chronic illnesses (including cancer).
“Essentially, we found that those who had the highest fiber or total fiber intake actually was almost 80% more likely to live a long and healthy life over a ten-year follow-up,“Bamini Gopinath, PhD, the study’s lead author, said in a press release.
And be sure to check for an amazing side effect of eating more fiber, according to science.