Fiber had been a critical part of the human diet since ancient times. Throughout history, the majority of civilization has leveraged some form of plant derived energy in their survival strategy, because for the 9,850 years (only counting modern human years) leading to present day, grocery stores were non-existent. So, that means almost 10,000 years of evolving with plant derived nutrients, I wonder what would happen if we tried this crazy experiment and drastically cut-down our plant intake, in an n=300,000,000 study (give or take a few million)?

Nahh, that’s crazy, unrealistic, Absurd! But…. hypothetically, lets say we tracked a group of 10,000 subjects, born a decade apart (from 1930-2000), over the course of their lives, looking at diet and disease, I’d hypothesize that we’d see a pretty strong correlation between food trends and overall health.

And what is one present-day trend plaguing westernized populations around the globe?

The under-consumption of FIBER! In 2016, the FDA increased the recommended daily intake from 25 grams to 28 grams. There’s only one problem: According to the National Health Survey conducted by the CDC, most Americans consume less than half the recommended daily intake. Yikes!

We need to step it up, but first, lets take a look at the basics…

Fiber – Soluble and Insoluble

Dietary Fiber is a plant-derived nutrient that cannot be completely broken down during digestion Soluble and Insoluble – both key to digestion and optimal health. Soluble blends with water and turns to gel during digestion while insoluble keeps its structure as it passes though our system. They both play critical roles in managing blood sugar, keeping us full, and feeding our 300 trillion friends, that’s right, the microorganisms within – People helping Microbes…helping People. What we callis a plant-derived nutrient that cannot be completely broken down during digestion (1) . It’s most commonly represented in two main forms (although there are more) –– both key to digestion and optimal health. Soluble blends with water and turns to gel during digestion while insoluble keeps its structure as it passes though our system. They both play critical roles in managing blood sugar, keeping us full, and feeding our 300 trillion friends, that’s right, the microorganisms within – or our microbiome . As our microbes feast on all that fiber we can’t digest, they produce byproducts of beneficial metabolites and short-chain fatty acids which we can then utilize. People helping People, well… I guess it really is – The idea is to feed your bacteria or your bacteria will digest you” So fiber is microbe food, and what happens when there’s an insufficient amount of it for them to chow down on? They start chowing down on us (our intestinal lining) ! As Robert Lustig, M.D. puts it – “ Good thing you’re buying all High Fiber foods in the grocery store, right? …Right?

The Problem with Processed Foods

High Fiber! Fiber Packed! Fiber Enriched! – Just some common phrases you might see as you take the mind stimulating walk through the colorful aisles of the grocery store. Although these boxes are claiming to be “Full of Fiber”, the truth is… Not all Fiber is created equal.

Fiber has become a buzz word in the food industry. In the eyes of the standard shopper, High Fiber instantly makes an item become more attractive, because it has to be good! Or they wouldn’t advertise it in BIG letters on the box, duh! Well, my friends, we all may be being misled, here’s why:

Dietary Fiber is the Good Fiber, It’s Natural, from plants, and comes in the two primary forms listed above. The foods containing this good Fiber do not need nutritional labels, because they are Real Whole Foods! What you many-times find in processed/packaged foods is Functional fiber – or Fiber that is extracted and isolated from whole foods, then added in the processing process. This Fiber which is unnaturally added to cereals, snack/protein bars, juices and even gummies (I mean, come onn) does not provide the same benefits as its natural counterparts. Added Fiber simply does not offer the variety of fibers, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients that real foods do. To make matters worse, many times these packaged foods that are enriched or fortified with Fiber fail to point out (in the same big letters on the box) that they are comprised of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and a bunch of other preservatives and chemicals to make them last on the shelf.

Now I know what you may be thinking…

Don’t worry, there’s a fix! The simplest path to improved health is based around the pillars of Diet, Exercise and Sleep. Start filling your plate with Whole Real Foods, you may be surprised by the impact one lifestyle change can make. Remember, Fiber is prevalent in plant foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, so start there.

It’s important to note, if you transition from a very Low Fiber Diet to an extremely High Fiber Diet overnight, you may experience some discomfort…

But High Fiber is Uncomfortable…

We established MIcrobes (or bacteria) love fiber, it’s their favorite meal (at lease the good ones), when soluble and unsoluble fiber make it’s way down to the colon – or large intestines – our bacteria begin to eat up. A physical byproduct of this bacterial feast could be gas, bloating and the occasional constipation. In some extreme cases, folks may be suffering from SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth), leading to extreme discomfort when too much Fiber is consumed.

In most scenarios, the best option is to slowly increase your fiber intake over time, providing a transition period for you intestines to normalize the shift. Of course, before making any major changes, consult your doctor (because that’s always a smart plan).

Your High Fiber Future

If it comes from the ground it’s typically packing a healthy fiber punch. Research suggests, by increasing your REAL fiber intake, you may lower risk for developing:

Coronary Heart Disease

Stroke

Hypertension

Diabetes

Obesity

And Gastrointestinal Diseases

As well as lowering blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels (2). Basically decreasing your overall risk of metabolic syndrome and increasing longevity. JUST BY EATING MORE PLANTS!

The Good News is – You have control of what food you eat. The Bad News Is – You cave in to Tony the Tiger and his gang of processed friends way to easy. I’ll tell you this, It’s most certainly a marathon, the key is to keep your steady pace all the way to the end. The problem in today’s Western world is – too many people are falling way behind in their twenties, thirty’s and forty’s and running the risk of tapping out early, or equally as bad – having the crawl the last 15 miles. Your lifestyle today, most certainly has an impact on your physical, mental, and emotional state ten, twenty, thirty years from now. So make sure your making the investment in your most valuable asset…You!

You can never start too early and it’s most certainly never too late.