The Fiber Factor: Why This Nutrient Is a Must for Health & How to Get Enough

Gut check: Are you getting enough fiber? If you’re like 95% of Americans, chances are you’re not.¹

You’ll be excited to learn there are innovative new ways to increase your intake and reap the benefits of this important nutrient. Solaray’s fiber formulas aren’t your typical, old-fashioned fiber supplements. Our science-backed products include clinically studied ingredients to help support overall gut health, promote regularity, support healthy weight loss, and more.*

Keep reading to learn all about fiber—its benefits, the different types, and how supplements can help you get the fiber you need.

What Is Fiber?

Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate. More specifically, it’s the part of plant foods that the body can't digest or absorb, causing them to pass somewhat intact through the stomach, small intestine, colon, and out of the body.²

While humans don't have digestive enzymes that break down fiber, bacteria in our gut do. In fact, the intestinal microbiome uses fiber from our diet as its own energy source.³ Dietary fiber helps with regularity, overall gut health, and more. 

Fiber is found in many fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes including:⁴

• Lima beans and lentils
• Brussels sprouts and spinach
• Raspberries and apples with skin
• Nuts and chia seeds
• Spelt and barley

The National Academy of Medicine recommends that women consume 21-25 grams of fiber daily and men consume 30-38 grams daily, depending on age.⁵ 

You might be thinking, “That’s a lot of lima beans.” Rest assured, there are ways to help fill in the gaps if you feel daunted by adding that much fiber to your diet. We’ll explore some of these powerful sources after we delve into the benefits of fiber.

What Are the Benefits of Fiber?

Fiber is most well known for its effect on digestion and regularity. Specifically, insoluble fiber can help prevent occasional constipation and support the movement of food through the body. That’s because it adds bulk and absorbs water, which makes stool softer and easier to pass.⁶

Soluble fiber, on the other hand, slows down digestion and can help create a feeling of fullness that may support weight management. It also has many benefits when it comes to heart and cardiovascular health. For example, it may “bind up” cholesterol in the gut and help keep some of it from being absorbed. 

Keep reading to learn more about the two different kinds of fiber.

Soluble vs. Insoluble Fiber

There are two different types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Both are important for digestion and overall wellness:

• Soluble fiber attracts water and turns into a gel during digestion, which slows down overall digestion and plays a role in glucose metabolism. Soluble fiber is found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, and legumes. It’s also found in psyllium, which is often used in fiber supplements; more below.
  

• Insoluble fiber is a type of dietary fiber that does not dissolve in water. It adds bulk to the stool and helps food pass more quickly through the stomach and intestines. It’s found in wheat bran, some vegetables, and whole grains.⁷ 

It’s important to have both types of fiber in your diet so that your gut and digestive system can function optimally. 

Do You Need a Fiber Supplement?

Did you know 95% of American adults and children do not consume recommended amounts of fiber?^8,9 That’s an astounding number considering how important fiber is for good health.

There are some standard recommendations for increasing fiber intake through diet: Start the morning with fiber-rich cereal and fruit, incorporate vegetables into every meal, and substitute whole wheat for white flour.

Yet there are times when food is not enough. That’s where supplements can come in. 

Fiber supplements are one of the most reliable ways to add this nutrient to your diet. Supplements are more concentrated, easier to take at a consistent daily dose, and ours are rigoursly tested for purity and potency. You know exactly how much of each ingredient you’re consuming so you can easily get the fiber your body needs every day.

Wondering which supplements are most efficacious? Keep reading to learn about Solaray’s innovative fiber formulas.

Top Fiber Supplements for Digestion + More

Solaray has developed four new unflavored fiber powders that harness the power of this essential nutrient. Each one is packed with beneficial fiber and mixes easily into your favorite beverages (scoop included) for sippable daily support you and your gut can count on.*

• Okra Fiber delivers a potent dose of a unique, science-backed okra fiber for powerful weight loss support.*† It contains 2,490 mg of a fully traceable, renewable okra fiber source called Okralin™, which is clinically studied to support healthy weight loss and overall body composition.*†^

• Psyllium Husk Fiber provides 3,500 mg of whole psyllium husk per serving for powerful digestive and cardiovascular support.* Psyllium husk is a popular source of soluble fiber traditionally used to help promote regularity and healthy digestion.* Prefer a psyllium husk capsule? We’ve got that, too.

• Oat Fiber delivers a potent dose of oat bran that supports heart and overall cardiovascular health.* It contains 11 g of sustainably sourced oat bran per serving, supplying 3 g (28%) beta glucans. Beta glucans are soluble fibers, found naturally in oats and other foods, that benefit your heart and more.*

• Triple Fiber is a unique, psyllium-free blend of acacia gum plus clinically backed hydrolyzed guar gum and resistant potato starch that provides potent support for regularity, occasional constipation, increased feelings of satiety, and overall gut health.* It includes ingredients shown to support a healthy microbiome and bifidobacterium levels and delivers 11 g of total dietary fiber per serving—40% of the Daily Value.* 

The Fiber Factor

Stand out from the crowd and be part of the 5% of Americans who are consuming enough fiber. Your body will thank you. Here are some tips:

1. Enhance your diet with fiber-packed foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes)

2. Help close any naturally occuring gaps with supplements: Scoop one of our unflavored fiber powders into your favorite beverage every morning

3. Drink plenty of water—fiber absorbs water, so stay hydrated when upping your intake

It’s time to go with your gut. Get the fiber your body needs so you can keep feeling your best.

† When taken as part of a healthy diet. For best results, use for 3 months.
^ Okralin™ is a registered trademark of Nexir.

Resources:

1. Quagliani D, Felt-Gunderson P. Closing America's Fiber Intake Gap: Communication Strategies From a Food and Fiber Summit. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016 Jul 7;11(1):80-85.

2. “Dietary Fiber: Essential For a Healthy Diet” Mayo Clinic mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983.

3. “4 Ways Fiber Benefits Your Health“ University of Michigan School of Public Health. sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2017posts/fiber-benefits.

4. “Food Sources of Dietary Fiber” Dietary Guidelines for Americans. dietaryguidelines.gov/resources/2020-2025-dietary-guidelines-online-materials/food-sources-select-nutrients/food-sources-fiber

5. “Dietary Fiber: Essential For a Healthy Diet” Mayo Clinic mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983.

6. “Foods high in fiber: Boost your health with fiber-rich foods” Harvard Health. health.harvard.edu/nutrition/foods-high-in-fiber-boost-your-health-with-fiber-rich-foods.

7. “Soluble vs. insoluble fiber” Mount Sinai. mountsinai.org/health-library/special-topic/soluble-vs-insoluble-fiber

8. “What We Eat in America: Nutrient intakes from food by gender and age. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-10.” US Department of Agriculture; Agricultural Research Service.ars.usda.gov/Sp2userfiles/Place/12355000/Pdf/0910/Table_1_Nin_Gen_

9. Quagliani D, Felt-Gunderson P. Closing America's Fiber Intake Gap: Communication Strategies From a Food and Fiber Summit. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016 Jul 7;11(1):80-85.