Why Fuss about Fiber?
Mar 31, 2022
Disease risk goes up as fiber consumption goes down. This is a simple, noncontroversial, well-documented fact.*
Okay, before we start downing the Metamucil or psyllium husks, let’s look more deeply. Why is fiber so important?
The old story about fiber is that it acts as an “intestinal broom,” cleaning out our bowels and giving us smooth moves. All good, but there’s a whole lot more.
Recent science has a far more complete and exciting picture. Enter the microbiome, the gut.
Also known as the enteric nervous system, or the brain in our bellies, the microbiome is made up of the intestines and the trillions of microorganisms that live there. You read that right, 39 trillion is a good estimate.
The health of the microbiome is vitally important if we want to thrive and avoid disease! The gut has been shown to be a command center of sorts for general human health.**
Here is where fiber comes in. Insoluble fiber is both a strength workout and major fuel for the microbiome. Our gut microbiota use fiber to make potent short chain fatty acids (SCFA’s).
SCFAs fortify the intestinal wall, and power through the bloodstream, doing good deeds throughout our bodies.
These super fighter SCFAs:
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Boost our immunity (killing pathogens and cancer cells in their path),
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Regulate metabolism (our energy balance),
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Support the endocrine system (regulating hormone production),
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Enhance brain functioning (clear up brain fog), and
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Regulate moods (help smooth out anxiety and depression).
They even cross the blood-brain barrier and clean out the plaque that builds up there (the build up of plaque is associated with Alzheimers disease and other brain disorders).
Without fiber, our guts get lazy and sick.
Picture a community of malcontent, ineffective workers. They are addicted to quick highs like refined carbohydrates (sugar, white four), and refined oils. When germs come in (like COVID-19!), or cancer cells start up, or our brains are fogging up with plaque, will they help us? Nope, they are strung out on the couch watching Netflix, and crying for more junk food.
A healthy gut decreases our chances of getting all the popular “lifestyle diseases”, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimers, and autoimmune ailments. A healthy gut has even been shown to reverse lifestyle diseases!
Fiber comes exclusively from whole plant foods. That’s right, beans, whole grains, veggies, fruits, nuts, and seeds.
The more different types of plants we eat, the more diversity and power in our microbiomes. The more ability to fight disease and promote our health.
A range of whole plant foods, with their unique fiber, provide a healthy workout for the microbiota, and fuel for them to make SCFAs!
Most Americans don’t eat enough fiber to be healthy. Lack of fiber in our diets is a major cause of our lifestyle diseases.
We can change all that now by adding whole plant food to our diets!
Start low and slow, though! Let your microbiome adjust to its workout, but get it off the couch! Small steps in the right direction get great, lasting results over time!
Let’s do it!
**Fiber Fueled by Dr Will Bulsiewicz’s. “Dr B” is an award-winning, board certified gastroenterologist and clinical scientist. His book also features a plant-based gut health program for losing weight, restoring your health and optimizing your microbiome. It’s a fun and fascinating, cutting-edge read, and has over 600 scientific references.
