It is a universally-acknowledged truth that fiber is good for you. But ask a person to describe what they think of when they hear the word “fiber,” and often what comes to mind are things like prunes, wheat bran, and—as unglamorous as it is—using the bathroom.

While these are all accurate attributes, they only touch on part of the fiber picture. The former two as solutions to a low-fiber diet and the latter are just some of the many benefits of consuming enough of the nutrient. However, such a narrow understanding of fiber downplays the significance of its role in your health.

But what happens when you broaden your knowledge of fiber and start getting enough of it in your diet? You may notice that your mental health improves, your immune system strengthens, and your energy skyrockets. (And, yes, your digestion and bathroom habits will get better too.) Allow us to explain…

What Is Fiber?

But first, what exactly is fiber? Fiber is a type of carbohydrate found in plant foods that the human body cannot digest.

Unlike other carbohydrates, which break down into glucose during digestion, your body cannot break fiber into sugar. Instead, it goes through your stomach and colon relatively intact.

Types of Fiber: Soluble Fiber vs. Insoluble Fiber

But why does your body need an undigestible nutrient? To understand how fiber benefits the body, it’s important to understand the two types of dietary fiber: soluble and insoluble. Both fiber types are found in plants and are necessary for your body to sustain proper digestive health. However, they play vastly different roles.

Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber dissolves in water while insoluble fiber does not. After it makes its way into your stomach, soluble fiber collects water which causes it to dissolve and turn into a gel-like substance.

Ever seen or eaten chia seeds? You might have noticed the halo of gel that forms around them. That is soluble fiber in action! This thick, gel-like substance slows the digestive process, helping you feel full. It also allows your body to absorb your food’s vitamins and nutrients better.

Insoluble Fiber

Like soluble fiber, insoluble fiber benefits your health. But it serves an entirely different role. Unlike soluble fiber, insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water.

Instead, insoluble fiber makes its way through your small intestine into the large intestine where it pulls water into your stool. This helps aid in bowel regulation and keeps your digestive system running smoothly.

Recommended Fiber Intake: How Much Fiber Do You Need?

Millions of years ago, fiber was the cornerstone of the human diet. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate 150 to 200 grams of fiber a day. Unfortunately, today that story is a little different. More than 90% of women and 97% of men do not get enough fiber in their diet.¹

So, how much fiber should you be consuming? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends 22-28 grams of fiber per day for women and 28-34 grams for men.¹ Yet the average American only gets 16 grams daily. This massive deficiency is what nutritionists refer to as the “fiber gap”.

The Fiber Gap: Modern-Day Fiber Intake vs. Our Hunter-Gatherer Ancestors

Our ancestors had little problem adding fiber to their diet. Yet today, it’s clear that we’re struggling to get enough. Why is that exactly? Well, way back in the day Paleolithic-era humans relied on a primarily plant-based and high-fiber diet of tubers, seeds, nuts, legumes, and cereals.

Contrary to what you’ve heard about the modern “Paleo diet,” animal products made up only a nominal 3% of their food intake.² High-fiber foods, like tubers, were available year-round versus game animals whose availability largely depended on the season.³⁴ If we take a look at the diet of the Hadza tribe of Tanzania, a modern-day hunter-gatherer community, for example, roughly 70% of their calories come from high-fiber plant foods.³

For almost 99% of human history, gathering and hunting have been the basis of nutrition.⁵ And this incredibly diverse variety of foods was rich in nutrients and fiber. But in the last 100 years, we’ve experienced a boom of industrialization that has given rise to ultra-processed, low-cost, readily available foods to sustain a growing population.

For many, food is a lot more readily accessible than it was before. So for most of us, hunting and gathering has turned into a trip to the grocery store. But a result of this convenience is a decrease in high-nutrient and fiber foods and an increase in lower-quality or processed food items.

And this low-fiber diet is messing with our health and gut microbiome diversity! For example, we’ve seen a rise in the rate of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

What Does Fiber Do and Why Is It Important?

Why is it a big deal that we eat a lot less fiber than our ancestors? Well, for a non-digestible nutrient, fiber certainly plays a pretty big role in our health.

Here is a research-backed list of some of fiber’s biggest health benefits:

• Reduces risk of inflammation, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity by lowering your cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose levels and improving insulin sensitivity^{6 7 8 9 10}
• Promotes better digestion and a healthier stool bulk, helping to relieve or prevent constipation⁸
• Improves gastrointestinal or gut health (aka maintenance of good gut bacteria) which leads to better immune function and energy balance in the body^{7 9}
• Helps regulate food intake and promotes a healthier diet by increasing feelings of fullness⁷

How to Get More Fiber

So now you know how important fiber is for your diet and that it’s highly likely you’re not getting enough of it. So how do you get more fiber? Trust us, it involves more than just prunes and wheat bran!

High-Fiber Foods

The key to a high-fiber diet is to enjoy more fruits, veggies, and whole grains! Here are some great high-fiber foods to add to your diet:^{6 7 8}

Prebiotic Soda

Look, we get it! It’s not always easy to load up on healthy fruits and veggies. Luckily there are other high-fiber options out there for you to enjoy. And one great option is prebiotic soda!

Prebiotic soda is a healthier soda alternative packed with fiber to support your health and wellness. And a great option to try is OLIPOP.

OLIPOP is the first research-backed consumer beverage that brings you a digestive health solution. One can contains 9g of dietary fiber, helping bring you that much closer to your recommended daily fiber intake.

Plus, it tastes delicious! So forget the prunes and wheat bran, and get your daily fiber with delicious fruits, veggies, and (if you can believe it!) soda.

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020, December). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 (9th Edition). https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans-2020-2025.pdf
2. Challa HJ, Bandlamudi M, Uppaluri KR. Paleolithic Diet. [Updated 2022 Jul 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482457/
3. Schnorr, S., Candela, M., Rampelli, S. et al. Gut microbiome of the Hadza hunter-gatherers. Nature Communications 5, 3654 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4654
4. Smits SA, Leach J, Sonnenburg ED, Gonzalez CG, Lichtman JS, Reid G, Knight R, Manjurano A, Changalucha J, Elias JE, Dominguez-Bello MG, Sonnenburg JL. Seasonal cycling in the gut microbiome of the Hadza hunter-gatherers of Tanzania. Science. 2017 Aug 25;357(6353):802-806. doi: 10.1126/science.aan4834. PMID: 28839072; PMCID: PMC5891123.
5. Alt KW, Al-Ahmad A, Woelber JP. Nutrition and Health in Human Evolution-Past to Present. Nutrients. 2022 Aug 31;14(17):3594. doi: 10.3390/nu14173594. PMID: 36079850; PMCID: PMC9460423.
6. Locke A, Schneiderhan J, Zick SM. Diets for Health: Goals and Guidelines. Am Fam Physician. 2018 Jun 1;97(11):721-728. PMID: 30215930.
7. Sweat, Whitney M.S., R.D., CSSD; Manore, Melinda M. Ph.D., R.D., CSSD, FACSM. Dietary Fiber: Simple Steps for Managing Weight and Improving Health. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal: January/February 2015 – Volume 19 – Issue 1 – p 9-16 doi: 10.1249/FIT.0000000000000091
8. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2019, October 28). Fiber. The Nutrition Source. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/fiber/
9. Dreher ML. Whole Fruits and Fruit Fiber Emerging Health Effects. Nutrients. 2018 Nov 28;10(12):1833. doi: 10.3390/nu10121833. PMID: 30487459; PMCID: PMC6315720.
10. Quagliani D, Felt-Gunderson P. Closing America’s Fiber Intake Gap: Communication Strategies From a Food and Fiber Summit. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016 Jul 7;11(1):80-85. doi: 10.1177/1559827615588079. PMID: 30202317; PMCID: PMC6124841.