Eating More Fiber

While whole foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains remain the best sources of fiber, older adults now have more options than ever to boost fiber intake through packaged foods. As research continues to highlight fiber’s role in digestion, heart health, and healthy aging, food manufacturers continue to petition the FDA to expand what qualifies for fiber and what can be added to their food labels. 

FDA Definition of Fiber

Back in 2016, the FDA defined dietary fiber as one of two categories: naturally occurring fibers that are intrinsic and intact in plants and isolated/ synthetic carbohydrates that have physiological effects that are beneficial to human health.

The first category is easy to understand as naturally occurring fibers in varying whole foods are abundant and simple to consume without much thought.  The second, on the other hand, may be fiber that’s extracted from a plant or a fiber that doesn’t occur naturally, but shows one of the following health benefits: 

1. Lowers blood glucose

2. Lowers cholesterol levels

3. Lowers blood pressure

4. Increases frequency of bowel movements

5. Increases mineral absorption in the intestinal tract

6. Reduced energy intake due to satiation benefits

Approved Isolated/Synthetic Fiber

Since formally defining fiber, the FDA has approved the following as dietary fiber and listed them on food labels:

• Beta-glucan

• Psyllium husk

• Cellulose

• Guar gum

• Pectin

• Locust bean gum

• Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose.

• Mixed plant cell wall fibers (a broad category that includes fibers like sugar cane fiber and apple fiber, among many others)

• Arabinoxylan

• Alginate

• Inulin

• High amylose starch

• Galactooligosaccharide

• Polydextrose

• Resistant maltodextrin/dextrin

• Cross linked phosphorylated RS4

• Glucomannan

• Acacia (gum arabic)

Fiber From Whole Foods is Always Best

I am a strong proponent of getting fiber from whole foods when possible, but given the bio-individuality of nutrition this is not always an available option. Positive results from the use of psyllium husks, beta-glucans, inulin, guar gum and other isolated/synthetic fibers is promising. However, there is no clarity or labelling differentiation on what is an isolated fiber or a completely synthetic one.  This leaves one to consider what is actually going into your body and encourages one to always go slow with consumption to see how your body reacts. The benefits resulting from all sources will be similar and worth consuming any way you can to create a more resilient microbiome for improved gut health and reduced inflammation.

Hopefully this list will aid you in reading the ingredient labels when you’re buying packaged food and looking to increase fiber. As food labels become more complex, it’s always best practice to keep ingredients to a minimum and to know what the ingredients actually are before consuming any packaged product. 

McRae M. P. (2018). Dietary Fiber Intake and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Umbrella Review of Meta-analyses. Journal of chiropractic medicine, 17(1), 44–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2017.11.002

Office of Nutrition and Food Labeling Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Food and Drug Administration U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2016. Review of Isolated and Synthetic Non-Digestible Carbohydrates. fda.gov

FDA Issues Guidance, Science Review, and Citizen Petition Responses on Dietary Fiber. 2018, fda.gov

Justin L Carlson, Jennifer M Erickson, Beate B Lloyd, Joanne L Slavin, Health Effects and Sources of Prebiotic Dietary Fiber, Current Developments in Nutrition, Volume 2, Issue 3, March 2018, nzy005, https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzy005Avis Ed. (2020). 

https://www.fiberfacts.org/news-research-summaries/