Eat More Fiber

Eat more fiber. You have probably heard it before over the years. The encouragement to up our fiber intake has increased significantly as Dietary Fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet.

The benefits range from:

• Helping to maintain a healthy weight.
• May maintain bowel health.
• Lowering your risk of diabetes.
• Lowering your risk of heart disease
• Diverticulitis
• Inflammatory bowel syndrome
• Some types of cancer
• It may lower cholesterol levels.

(Fiber, Lipids, and Coronary Heart Disease, 1997)

The importance of consuming a proper amount of fiber in your daily diet has become one of the top requirements for living a healthy lifestyle. The majority of Americans need to consume more fiber daily. Only 5% of the population reportedly complies with sufficient intake recommendations. This suggests increasing the daily fiber intake could have positive health effects.  (Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet, 2022)

According to the American Heart Association, the recommendations for fiber intake vary by age and gender. Still, the new FDA regulation said the average is about 28 grams of fiber per day, and the average intake is only about 14 grams. So, for most people, there's a 14-gram gap. (Sound the Fiber Alarm! Most of Us Need More of It in Our Diet, 2022b)

It is essential to recognize the two types of fiber and their benefits, as they are crucial. According to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Soluble fiber: transforms into a gel-like material after absorbing water. Blood sugar levels and cholesterol may both be controlled by soluble fiber.

The following advantages are provided by soluble fiber:

Reducing dietary fat and cholesterol absorption to reduce LDL cholesterol levels in the blood and digestion of additional carbohydrates is slowed, which can help control blood sugar levels.

Insoluble fiber: It does not dissolve in water and adds bulk to the stool. Insoluble fiber can help food move through your digestive system, promoting regularity and helping prevent constipation.

Did you Know: Fiber can help slow down the body's absorption of sugar, helping to prevent blood sugar spikes after meals. (Fiber, Lipids, and Coronary Heart Disease, 1997)

According to a previous study, eating more fiber significantly lowers the risk of developing serious health issues like cardiovascular, infectious, and respiratory diseases.

However, introducing too much fiber at once might cause stomach bloating, cramps, and intestinal gas. Gradually add more fiber to your diet over a few weeks. This enables your digestive system's natural microorganisms to adapt to the shift.

Drink a lot of water as well. The greatest way for fiber to act is to absorb water, resulting in soft, thick stools.

According to Dr. Park and colleagues, "a diet rich in dietary fiber may provide significant health benefits." The editorialists added that discovering a strong inverse relationship between fiber intake and cardiovascular death supports decades of research indicating that dietary fiber protects against cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. 

With new studies and discoveries being made every day, Smart for Life makes it a priority to keep up and provide our customers with quality products that contain the right amounts of fiber and macros in every product we make. Thanks to Smart for Life, fitting in your fiber has never been easier! 

With numerous options of delicious flavors, Smart for life creates a convenient and effortless way to add a good source of fiber into your daily life. If you're going to have a cookie, have a Smart for life cookie instead. :)