3 Surprising Reasons to Eat More Fiber

Most of us already know that fiber helps smooth our digestion, which is important, but not very sexy.

There are actually more exciting reasons to fill up your plate with all that plant matter…reasons that might have you actually stoked on fiber.

These benefits come from what your microbiota (gut bacteria) will DO for you if you feed them fiber.

We’ll dive in below!

#1. Better Mood, Less Anxiety, Less Depression

Your gut is known as your “second brain.” The bacteria that live there produce neurotransmitters and chemicals that directly influence your mood.

The more fermentable fiber and prebiotic fiber in your diet that you have (think apples, asparagus, beans, cabbage, flaxseed, oats, and more) the more “good” bacteria will live in your gut, and the more “happy hormones” those bacteria will produce for you.

This fiber also cuts down on gut inflammation to reduce anxiety, depression, and even memory loss.

#2 Protect cartilage to improve arthritis

When you feed them fiber, certain bacteria in your gut can ALSO produce anti-inflammatory compounds that can improve arthritis. These anti-inflammatory compounds can even protect your cartilage from being further damaged and speed the healing existing joint damage.

Alongside regular movement breaks and strength training to build up the muscles around the joint, fiber is a great way to help your achy stiff joints get healthier.

#3. Speeds weight loss

For those of you with weight loss goals, fiber is a big piece of the puzzle, both for the additional nutrients that come in plants AND it’s ability to help you feel full!

Without changing anything else, just aiming for 30g of fiber per day helped one group of adults lose on average about 4.6 pounds over the course of a year. These adults also improved their blood pressure and their insulin sensitivity!

So get that fiber in!