Dietary Fiber- Benefits Explained Like Never Before

Whether you've been in this space for a while now, or brand new (welcome newbies!), I ascribe effusive praise to two things that have helped my gut rebuild in unimaginable ways, fermented foods and fiber.

The latter is our focus today, and after this discussion, your understanding of fiber will never be the same.

I have two main goals in every gut health discussion.

First, I try to share my story and what I've learned to help others enjoy gut health benefits, while simultaneously avoiding the same mistakes I made.

Second, I aim to break down some of this fascinating gut health stuff using easily understandable examples.

As a non-science guy, I truly enjoy learning about the machinations of the gut microbiome.  If that's not weird enough for you, I also love using examples that only a weird brain could conjure up.

It's no secret that fiber is the preferred source of nourishment for good gut bacteria.  But to illustrate some of the lesser-known benefits of fiber like blood sugar management, increased transit times, and lipid metabolism, I'll use a screen door, the skin from the fruit of two kiwis, and Linda Blair in the Exorcist respectively.

Walk with me for a second.

As an aspiring, former-Type 2 Diabetic (T2D) but current card-carrying member, one huge benefit from fiber is the ability to prevent blood sugar spikes.  Fiber slows the absorption of carbohydrates, similar to a screen of sorts. 

You see, a screen door allows the cool evening breezes of Anytown, USA to gracefully pass through while simultaneously slowing larger objects from passing through.

Just like fiber slowing but not preventing carbs from entering our bloodstream, a screen door will slow, but not prevent, a 185-pound flight school student from crashing through it.

Some 24 years ago on a warm Alabama  evening, at dusk, a dimly lit screen door slowed down my exit to check on the heavenly Red Snapper wafting from my grill. 

Yes, it slowed me down as my face and body were smashed against it, all while the thin metal frame was dislodging itself from the sliding door architecture.

Within seconds like a tree falling in the forest, I rode earth's surly bond to the awaiting deck below my feet.

To the deafening laughter and howling from my Wife and Dad, I lay pinned on the deck because all 185 pounds had my fingers smashed under the screen door.

I had no idea two and a half decades later, this story could still produce an indelible image (and spontaneous laughter for those present) while serving as quite an example of fiber slowing the absorption of carbs and preventing blood sugar spikes.

Fiber has two main forms, soluble and insoluble.  Fiber done right is finding a good balance of both soluble and insoluble sources that your body tolerates well. 

I have spent the last five years working to hone my fiber-fueled diet.  I understand and have witnessed the benefits fiber has on disease prevention, blood sugar management, lipid metabolism (hold this thought), weight management, and increased transit times.

Increased transit time is the unsung benefit of fiber, or not sung loud enough in my opinion.  We ingest billions of microbes daily and they're not all friendly.  Fiber has a protective role in ensuring things move swiftly through our bodies, minimizing exposure times pathogens have to our tissues and organs.

Swiftly is a double-edged sword. 

If you're complacent with the balance between soluble and insoluble fiber percentages, fiber does not disciminate on who it administers swift justice to.

Have a seat for a second.

I traffic in fiber.  I average 50 grams per day, and many days that total is closer to 65 grams from all sources.

But on the rarest of occasions, I make rookie mistakes.

I average eating about 3 pounds of Kiwi per week (a couple per day).  This combination of soluble and insoluble fiber makes Kiwi a fantastic fiber source.

If you eat the skins of Kiwi, you can double their fiber content.  By the way, the skins are of the insoluble fiber type. 

In the spirit of full disclosure, my wife introduced me to Kiwi many years ago.  But she does not see eye to eye with me on eating the fuzzy skins of Kiwi. She peels her Kiwi.

I do not. 

Some time back, she was peeling her Kiwi and rather than throw it away, I told her to save it, I'll eat them later. (palpable sense of foreboding fully intended)

I recall it being in between yard work tasks when I stopped by the refrigerator for a snack.  I opened the container with the skins from two Kiwi fruit and proceeded to house the entire container.

A balanced intake of soluble to insoluble fiber is NOT 98% insoluble to 2% soluble. 

Swift justice ensued as I realized first hand how quickly and effectively indigestible, insoluble fiber can increase transit times.  I've often thought about posting a "fasten seatbelt" sign in the bathroom to remind complacent fiber traffickers that balance is vitally important.

As an aforementioned T2D, cholesterol management is a problem for me.  I was prescribed a cholesterol-lowering medication to bring the numbers down which worked to cut my LDL-C numbers in half. 

My lifestyle and diet changes accounted for further reducing that number another 30%.  And in my opinion, a large part of this improvement is from fiber.

We're going to stay out of the weeds here but the role of fiber in lipid metabolism is pretty interesting and the science is equally fascinating.

Fiber is like a magnet to LDL particles.  It carries some of these particles right along with them to the exit of the human body. This prevents them from clogging up your arteries.

Another interesting interaction fiber has in this lipid metabolism process is with bile. 

Prior to my plunge into the deep waters of gut health, my experience with bile was not pleasant.  It reminded me of real-life experiences, namely vomiting. 

But it also reminded me of the big screen portrayal of Linda Blair in The Exorcist.  A possessed kid spewing bile was the immediate thought any time I heard the word bile.

Not anymore.

One of bile's important roles is to break down fats.  But bile concentrations or quantities that run off the rails can be detrimental to our health.

Fiber has the ability to metabolize primary bile acids into secondary bile acids to prevent these rogue scenarios from coming to fruition.

So, the next time you watch The Exorcist or see the unsettling image of Linda Blair spewing bile, just imagine if she would have increased her fiber intake, much of that could have been avoided.

Fiber is crucial for a well-nourished gut microbiome.  A good balance of soluble and insoluble, well-tolerated dietary fiber is essential for your gut and so many other bodily functions. Gradually increasing your fiber intake allows good things to happen.

Thanks for reading,

Jeff