If you’re interested in dramatically revamping your body’s metabolic system, then read these studies on the benefits of fiber and learn from their findings.
Below are 57+ studies on the why and how that fiber affects bodily functions. From vital organ processes, overall disposition, serotonin production, to energy and integumentary health, fiber plays a key role in it all because of its dramatic affect on the gut.
{update: this list is in constant revision, as author also uses for log of science-backed, fiber-based studies}
Effects of dietary fibre intake on risk factors for cardiovascular disease in subjects at high risk https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19289389/
Intake of Fibre-Associated Foods and Texture Preferences in Relation to Weight Status Among 9–12 Years Old Children in 6 European Countries — The last two lines prove interesting in child development https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33681278/
Position of the American Dietetic Association: health implications of dietary fiber https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12146567/
Filling America’s fiber intake gap: summary of a roundtable to probe realistic solutions with a focus on grain-based foods https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22649260/
Dietary fiber and its associations with depression and inflammation https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31750916/
Dietary fiber and blood pressure control https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26923351/
Prebiotic effects: metabolic and health benefits https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20920376/
Resistant starches protect against colonic DNA damage and alter microbiota and gene expression in rats fed a Western diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22457395/
Dietary fibers, prebiotics, and exopolysaccharides produced by lactic acid bacteria: potential health benefits with special regard to cholesterol-lowering effects https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29790546/
Beneficial effects of high dietary fiber intake in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10805824/
Dietary fibre to reduce colon cancer risk in Alaska Native people: the Alaska FIRST randomized clinical trial protocol https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34452959/
Dietary fiber and body weight https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15797686/
Resistant Starches and Non-Communicable Disease: A Focus on Mediterranean Diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34574171/
The Health Benefits of Dietary Fibre https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33096647/
Diet and metabolic syndrome: where does resistant starch fit in? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15287676/
Resistant starch: promise for improving human health https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24228189/
Role of resistant starch in improving gut health, adiposity, and insulin resistance https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25770258/
Experiences with three different fiber supplements in weight reduction https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15614200/
Dietary fibre and cardiovascular health: a review of current evidence and policy https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31266545/
Resistant starch: the effect on postprandial glycemia, hormonal response, and satiety https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8092089/
Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Health Implications of Dietary Fiber https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26514720/
Resistant starch and “the butyrate revolution” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924224402001310
The neuropharmacology of butyrate: The bread and butter of the microbiota-gut-brain axis? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27346602/
Effect of test meals of varying dietary fiber content on plasma insulin and glucose response https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6259922/
Dietary Fiber, Atherosclerosis, and Cardiovascular Disease https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31126110/
Fiber and prebiotics: mechanisms and health benefits https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23609775/
Effects of differences in amount and kind of dietary carbohydrate on plasma glucose and insulin responses in man https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/389023/
Dietary Fiber and Metabolic Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Related Mechanisms https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29278406/
Fermentation characteristics of resistant starch, arabinoxylan, and β-glucan and their effects on the gut microbial ecology of pigs: A review https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240565451830249X
Dietary fiber and prebiotics and the gastrointestinal microbiota https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28165863/
Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18461293/
New Horizons for the Study of Dietary Fiber and Health: A Review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26847187/
Review article: probiotics and prebiotics in irritable bowel syndrome https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18532993/
Impacts of Gut Bacteria on Human Health and Diseases https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425030/pdf/ijms-16-07493.pdf
Food-based strategies to modulate the composition of the intestinal microbiota and their associated health effects https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20224145/
Prebiotic effects of inulin and oligofructose https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12088518/
Dietary fibre in gastrointestinal health and disease https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33208922/
Butyrate and Dietary Soluble Fiber Improve Neuroinflammation Associated With Aging in Mice https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30154787/
Prebiotic Galactooligosaccharide Supplementation in Adults with Ulcerative Colitis: Exploring the Impact on Peripheral Blood Gene Expression, Gut Microbiota, and Clinical Symptoms https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34684597/
Fiber Intake Predicts Weight Loss and Dietary Adherence in Adults Consuming Calorie-Restricted Diets: The POUNDS Lost (Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies) Study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31174214/
Dietary resistant starch dose-dependently reduces adiposity in obesity-prone and obesity-resistant male rats https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3541085/
Dietary support in insulin resistance: An overview of current scientific reports https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31756065/
Microbiota’s Role in Diet-Driven Alterations in Food Intake: Satiety, Energy Balance, and Reward https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34578945/
Appetite and Satiety Control — Contribution of Gut Mechanisms https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/10/3635/htm
Gut Hormones in Health and Obesity: The Upcoming Role of Short Chain Fatty Acids https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33572661/
Impact of Dietary Fiber Consumption on Insulin Resistance and the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29378044/
Lifestyle Factors and 5-Year Abdominal Fat Accumulation in a Minority Cohort: The IRAS Family Study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3856431/
Colonic fermentation of indigestible carbohydrates contributes to the second-meal effect https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16600933/
Carbohydrate, Memory, and Mood https://watermark.silverchair.com/nutritionreviews
Role of polysaccharides in food, digestion, and health https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25921546/
Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11832527/
Resistant Starch: Promise for Improving Human Health https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3823506/#bib133
Resistant starches for the management of metabolic diseases https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26406392/
Effects of dietary fiber and its components on metabolic health https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22254008/
Colonic health: fermentation and short chain fatty acids https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16633129/
A Novel Grape-Derived Prebiotic Selectively Enhances Abundance and Metabolic Activity of Butyrate-Producing Bacteria in Faecal Samples https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33833742/
Wood-Derived Dietary Fibers Promote Beneficial Human Gut Microbiota https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30674645/
Resistant starch, large bowel fermentation and a broader perspective of prebiotics and probiotics https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21831780/
Effects of regulating gut microbiota on the serotonin metabolism in the chronic unpredictable mild stress rat model https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31323174/
Probiotics, Prebiotics and Postbiotics on Mitigation of Depression Symptoms: Modulation of the Brain-Gut-Microbiome Axis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34356624/
Modulation of Gut Microbiota-Brain Axis by Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26306709/
Harnessing Gut Microbes for Mental Health: Getting From Here to There https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29031410/
The Gut-Brain Axis: Literature Overview and Psychiatric Applications https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34733087/
From probiotics to psychobiotics — the gut-brain axis in psychiatric disorders https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33191776/
Prebiotics and probiotics for depression and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31004628/
Fermented foods, the gut and mental health: a mechanistic overview with implications for depression and anxiety https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30415609/
Breaking down the barriers: the gut microbiome, intestinal permeability and stress-related psychiatric disorders https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26528128/
Dietary fiber for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22218620/
Propionate as a health-promoting microbial metabolite in the human gut https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21521227/
Understanding the Physics of Functional Fibers in the Gastrointestinal Tract: An Evidence-Based Approach to Resolving Enduring Misconceptions about Insoluble and Soluble Fiber https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27863994/
The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2020.00025/full
A fiber-based diet approach can reach each system of the body. From the neurocognition to, of course, the defecation process, fiber has far-reaching effects. But as you can see, fiber goes beyond the shi*. Bookmark or favorite this page to come back and see what other studies are being done, or if you just need a refresher. Much of this was foundational in the formation of ProFiber Food, which you can read about here: www.profiberfood.com
Comments