The Deal with Fiber

What is all the talk about Fiber?

Where does fiber come from? What does it do for you?

With technical and complex dietary information available, sometimes we just need to know the basics. Where does fiber come from? What does it do for you? And why the heck do you need it? In this article, we’ll give a basic rundown of what fiber is, what it does, and why it’s so vital.

Let’s get started.

What Is Fiber?

You may know that fiber can help you poop, but there’s a world of benefits beyond that. Before we talk about the benefits of fiber, it’s helpful to understand what it is and what it does.

So, what is fiber?

Fiber is broken down into two categories:

• Soluble fiber dissolves in water, making a gel-like material.

• Insoluble fiber does not dissolve, which helps material move through your digestive system.

Dietary fiber comes from the parts of plant foods that your body can’t digest. Unlike most carbohydrates, it passes through the body without being broken down into sugar molecules.

That may sound odd at first. How can a food that your body can’t digest be good for you? Because your body doesn’t break down and absorb fiber, it remains mostly intact as it passes through your digestive system.

How Does Fiber Help Your Body?

The American Dietetic Association recommends that we consume over 25 grams of dietary fiber from multiple plant sources every day, and there’s a reason for that. Only 5% of Americans get this recommended daily allowance! Fiber contains vital health benefits, so let’s take a look at a few of them.

Does Fiber Help You Poop?

Short answer: Yes!

One of the better-known benefits of insoluble fiber is that it can make your stool heavier, which decreases the risk of constipation. As fiber makes stool bulkier, the stool becomes easier to pass through your digestive system. The heavier and wetter a stool is, the better.

Fiber deficiency can also result in loose or wet stool, sometimes referred to as Loose Bowel Movements (LBM). Fiber can absorb water in the loose stool, making it heavier and more solid.

If you suffer from constipation or loose stools (or want to avoid those problems altogether), fiber can go a long way toward promoting a healthy digestive system. Getting enough fiber in your diet is critical for having a healthy stool.

It Acts Like a Broom

Because fiber stays undigested, it acts like a broom that cleans your digestive tract. Insoluble fiber can help prevent infections in your gut as it sweeps through your digestive system, while soluble fiber acts like a sponge that can remove cholesterol from the bloodstream.

Other Benefits of Fiber

Studies have also connected fiber intake to lower body weight, so a high-fiber diet could play a role in helping you maintain your weight loss goals. For general health purposes, researchers have also linked fiber consumption to a reduced risk of certain heart diseases and some metabolic diseases.

Fiber Supplements

It can be difficult to get enough fiber with a regular diet and even harder to find a good-tasting, organic and natural fiber supplement. At MANTRA Labs, we’ve put in the effort to create not only a highly effective fiber supplement but one that will taste good, too.

Meet, SUPER GREENS.

With a full serving of fiber — 9 grams, that is more than the leading fiber supplements — SUPER GREENS supports a healthy gut and digestion, provides immune system support with whole food plants and vitamins, and it contains zero sugar! 

Each serving of SUPER GREENS has real organic whole foods including 14 kale leaves, 9 grams of organic fiber (oat, acacia and Jerusalem artichoke), 100% of vegan D3, C, Zinc and Selenium, plus a super fruit blend. Make it your new daily all-in-one organic health boost.