People tend to look past fiber. For most people, fiber is something you eat if you’re having trouble going to the bathroom or if your stomach is hurting. However, fiber does so much more than normalize bowel movements and maintain bowel health. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate, but it’s a weird one. Fiber isn’t digestible by your body. You might be thinking, then what’s so special about it? Since fiber isn’t digestible, it travels through your body’s intestinal tract mostly intact, and this is where it benefits you so much. So the question is what else does fiber do here?
First of all, fiber is extremely beneficial for heart health. In a study of over 40,000 male health professionals, researchers found that those with a diet high in fiber had a 40% lower risk of coronary heart disease. A study was performed among female nurses with similar numbers. While fiber is being moved through the intestinal tract it forces the liver to produce more bile acid, which the liver makes by pulling LDL cholesterol (the bad kind of cholesterol) from the blood.
Another benefit of eating a diet high in fiber is having a lower blood sugar level and a lower risk of metabolic syndrome, a precursor to diabetes. The American Heart Association defines metabolic syndrome as “a group of five conditions that can lead to heart disease, diabetes, stroke and other health problems.” These five conditions are:
- High blood glucose (sugar)
- Low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol in the blood
- High levels of triglycerides in the blood
- Large waist circumference or “apple-shaped” body
- High blood pressure
A diet rich in fiber will combat all five of these conditions individually, and take a step in the correct direction to prevent metabolic syndrome and maintain a healthy weight and fitness.
A large issue that, specifically, Americans face is consuming an inadequate amount of fiber daily. Most Americans only get about 16 grams of fiber a day. The recommended amounts shift based on a person’s sex and age: men under 50 should get 38 grams, men over 50 should get 30 grams, women under 50 should get 25 grams, and women over 50 should get 21 grams. Try eating foods such as legumes, whole wheats, grains, and fiber-rich cereals.
You can try out our supplements to help keep you healthy and have a balanced set of nutrients and vitamins with BodyK’s fiber supplement Galactomune or with various boost boxes that combine galactomune with other additions: Strong Immunity Boost Box or Viral Defense Boost Box. Another service we have available here at BodyK is our Wellness Coaching which will provide you with different ways to improve your health after a brief consult.
