Why You Should Add Fiber To Your Diet

Fiber is getting more and more attention in recent time as having many different health benefits. It has long been something credited with the ability to aid in digestion and virtually eliminate constipation, but recent studies have shown that fiber is more potent than anyone had ever originally suspected. Fiber comes in two different forms, soluble, and insoluble. Soluble fiber moves through the digestive system and absorbs excess water, swelling up and passing through the bowels. This helps to absorb other substances, and move them more quickly out of the digestive system. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, works on a more chemical level, altering how much the body can absorb certain substances into the bloodstream. This is showing to have huge benefits on the body, and here are the three most important benefits that fiber has been linked to by scientific study.

It may surprise you to learn that fiber has been shown to be incredibly beneficial with cancer. When taken in high amounts, studies have indicated that a person’s risk for colon cancer is dramatically reduced. As of yet, no one is sure exactly why this is, but it is thought that the fiber helps to absorb carcinogens into the bowls before your body can absorb them, then moving these carcinogens swiftly through the digestive tract. This would allow your body to take in far fewer amounts of carcinogens, reducing your risk for cancer. There have also been studies that seem to indicate that fiber potentially has the ability to dilute carcinogens that get absorbed into the bowel walls.

Even more studies are connecting fiber to very positive cardiovascular benefits. As it turns out, fiber is actually able to regulate your cholesterol limits. Cholesterol, particularly LDL, is directly tied to nearly all cardiovascular diseases, and keeping your cholesterol levels down is a necessary step to preventing heart disease from striking you. Fiber, while promoting more efficient, cleaner digestion in the body, helps to keep substances that boost cholesterol levels, particularly LDL, from being absorbed. This is fantastic news, as lowering your LDL cholesterol levels while keeping your good cholesterol normal is a tricky thing to do.

Possibly the most surprising results of all, however, are those that are showing positive results in diabetes patients with high fiber diets. Scientists believe that fiber is preventing excess glucose from entering into the blood stream. This is crucial for a diabetic, as the foremost problem with many people suffering from diabetes is high blood sugar after a meal. Since they do not produce insulin in sufficient amount, their cells are not able to burn sugars efficiently. The kidneys are called on to remove these excess sugars so that they do not cause damage, and this gradually kills the kidneys. Fiber, however, helps to stop the sugar before it can even enter into the bloodstream and cause damage.

Increasing your daily intake of fiber is a very good idea, and fortunately, is also very simple. Fiber is found in many natural foods, and isn’t very difficult to get enough of. Soluble fiber is abundant in oats, vegetables, and fruits, while the insoluble version can be obtained by eating seeds, fruits, and whole grain products. We know more than ever about fiber and it’s impacts on the body, and of course, it is still just as potent for preventing constipation, and aiding in normal, healthy digestion.