It doesn't matter much which fiber you choose—just get more fiber

Medical Xpress / Duke University / Microbiome / The ISME Journal ^ | July 29, 2022 | Zachary C. Holmes et al / Jeffrey Letourneau et al

[ConservativeMind]

A rigorous examination of the gut microbes of study participants who were fed three different kinds of supplements in different sequences concludes that people who had been eating the least amount of fiber before the study showed the greatest benefit from supplements, regardless of which ones they consumed.

"The people who responded the best had been eating the least fiber to start with," said Lawrence David.

The benefit of dietary fiber isn't just the easier pooping that advertisers tout. Fermentable fiber—dietary carbohydrates that the human gut cannot process on its own but some bacteria can digest—is also an essential source of nutrients that your gut microbes need to stay healthy.

"We've evolved to depend on nutrients our microbiomes produce for us," said Zack Holmes, former Ph.D. student. "But with recent shifts in diet away from fiber-rich foods, we've stopped feeding our microbes what they need."

When your gut bugs are happily munching on a high-fiber diet, they produce more of the short-chain fatty acids that protect you from diseases of the gut, colorectal cancers and even obesity. And in particular, they produce more of a fatty acid called butyrate, which is fuel for your intestinal cells themselves. Butyrate has been shown to improve the gut's resistance to pathogens, lower inflammation and create happier, healthier cells lining the host's intestines.

"Regardless of which of the test supplements you pick, it seems your microbiome will thank you with more butyrate," David said.

The experiments tested three main kinds of fermentable fiber supplements: inulin, dextrin (Benefiber), and galactooligosaccharides (GOS) marketed as Bimuno.

In a second study, they found that gut microbes responded to a new addition of fiber within a day, dramatically altering the populations of bugs present in the gut and changing which of their genes they were using to digest food.

[ConservativeMind]

Inulin, dextrin, and galactooligosaccharides are all “soluble fibers” available in food and supplement form.

[ConservativeMind]

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[ProtectOurFreedom]

“Zack Holmes, former Ph.D. student”

Now that’s a first! Since when are “former Ph.D. students” interviewed?

[Fungi]

Eat yogurt!!!!

[who_would_fardels_bear]

If you don’t get enough vegetable fiber then the doctors will be shoving optical fiber into you.

[Gene Eric]

>> dietary carbohydrates that the human gut cannot process on its own but some bacteria can digest

a fascinating aspect given the beneficial tradeoff to the problematic carbs many should avoid, mainly diabetics.

[ConservativeMind]

When they graduated and had their in-school papers published.

Duke University interviewed him for the releases.

[ConservativeMind]

In the case of soluble fiber, it is a non-carbohydrate carb that allows gut bacteria to make a couple types of short-chain fatty acids that we really do need.

[Gene Eric]

+1

[Dr. Sivana]

I dunno about that. The Owens-Corning diet was rough on my digestion.

[SaveFerris]

Yeah but now you’re warmer in the winter time with less heat loss

[Dr. Sivana]

I’m in Phoenix, not really an issue.

[Jonty30]

Do strands of hair in fast food count?

[SaveFerris]

Well you’re cooler in the summertime! 😜

You don’t keep hearing the Pink Panther theme song do you? 😆

[Boomer]

Ever since I started taking (with every meal) a level teaspoon of Benefiber (Equate brand from Walmart), a half ounce or so of apple cider vinegar, with about a cup of water (cold in the summer) my gut has been super happy.

[zeestephen]

I am thinking that life as an intestinal microbe might be the Ninth Circle of Hell.

[.44 Special]

Does Skoal Long-Cut Apple cured count as fiber?

[alloysteel]

Only if you swallow the Skoal Long-Cut Apple cured. It does clean out the ulcers.

[daniel1212]

But first we need to understand that there are two types of dietary fiber: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble means it dissolves in water and insoluble means it does not dissolve in water. Which one do we need? We need both soluble fiber and insoluble fiber on a daily basis. -https://ezhealthbiz.com/why-do-we-need-fiber-and-how-much-fiber-per-day-is-required/

[Grey182]

I took 4 doses of Metamucil (not all at once) and intestinal cramps, etc. for the next 11 months. No thanks.

Also, fiber can suck certain minerals out of the body, so beware.