Fiber for Longevity: Five Reasons to Load Up On Beans and Rice
What if you could guarantee a longer life simply by eating more whole grains? You just might be able to, according to a meta-analysis of 17 different studies and almost a million people from the American Journal of Epidemiology. Researchers found that for every 10 grams of fiber you eat, you cut your mortality risk by 10%. Plus, people who ate the most fiber were 19% less likely to die during the study periods. So - what’s so special about fiber? Let’s discuss.
What is Fiber?
When you think of fiber, you might imagine a bowl of prunes or a piece of whole grain bread. But what is it, really? Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body can’t digest. While other carbs break down into sugar molecules once they enter the digestive system, fiber does not. It’s found in many plant foods, like vegetables, grains, beans, and fruit.
There are two types of fiber - soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and helps lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. You can find soluble fiber in foods like oats, nuts, beans, berries, and chia seeds. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, does not dissolve in water. This type of fiber supports a healthy digestive system, preventing constipation and helping you stay regular. Insoluble fiber can be found in wheat products, brown rice, quinoa, nuts, seeds, beans, and leafy greens.
Why Fiber Might Save Your Life
Aging is a natural, unavoidable part of life. However, you do have control over how you age. In fact, you have a lot of authority over your longevity and vitality - it’s all about what you put on your plate. Although it’s not the only component of a healthy diet, fiber can make all the difference. Here’s how.
Fiber helps you maintain your weight.
Being overweight or obese greatly increases your risk of serious health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. This is because being overweight impacts your hormones and metabolism - plus, carrying extra weight puts additional strain on the body.
Fiber helps you maintain a healthy weight. It keeps you feeling satiated and full for longer, which helps you avoid overeating. Research backs this concept - in one study, eating fiber was associated with an improved ability to stick to a calorie-restricted diet in overweight adults, thus promoting weight loss.
Fiber boosts gut health.
Scientists are becoming more and more aware of the importance of gut health. Your gut microbiome is made up of trillions of diverse bacteria. This collection of bacteria acts almost like another organ, playing key roles in your immunity, weight, digestion, and mood.
Fiber ferments rather than digesting, which feeds the good bacteria in the gut. It helps them grow and thrive, promoting a healthy gut microbiome. This, in turn, fosters a healthy immune system, improved mood, and better metabolic health.
Fiber aids in lowering inflammation.
Inflammation is a normal bodily reaction that helps the body heal from an infection or virus. However, chronic inflammation (which lasts months or years) can be detrimental to your health. It’s linked to serious health conditions, like arthritis, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and more.
Research shows that fiber - specifically, insoluble fiber - reduces inflammation. This may be the result of anti-inflammatory nutrients that we find in whole grains, like magnesium and polyphenols. Inflammation is also linked to obesity, and since fiber can help you lose weight, it can also lower weight-related inflammation.
Fiber prevents disease.
Studies show that consuming fiber decreases the risk of dying from serious conditions, including heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and cardiac disease. In fact, the risk of chronic disease falls by 5% to 27% for every 8 grams of dietary fiber you consume.
Fiber lowers cholesterol.
When you have an excess of LDL cholesterol, it can build up in the blood vessels as plaque. That forces your vessels to narrow, blocking vital blood flow to the heart and organs, leading to a heart attack.
Luckily, soluble fiber can help lower cholesterol by binding to and eliminating cholesterol-rich bile acids. When this happens, the body reacts by making more bile acid from the cholesterol in the blood. This process ultimately lowers your cholesterol.
As you can see, fiber plays a critical role in many areas of the body. It protects you from disease, inflammation, and cholesterol while aiding in weight control, digestion, and gut health. If you want to live a long, healthy, graceful life, eating fiber is non-negotiable. So, how are you adding fiber to your meals today?