Why So Many People Fall Short on Fiber – Despite Its Proven Benefits*

For all the hype that protein gets – not to mention the endless debates over how much it takes to hit that sweet spot – it’s another macronutrient where most people fall short. Only about 5% of adults in the United States meet their daily fiber recommendations. So many people overlook this beneficial nutrient that the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans once again classified fiber as a “nutrient of concern,” and experts call this the “fiber gap.”

You’ll only find fiber in plants – from beans and oats to broccoli and strawberries – and it comes in a few different forms. But this macronutrient is one that shouldn’t be ignored or restricted, no matter what kind of diet you follow. Did you know that fiber can promote regularity, satisfy hunger and beat belly bloat?*

Keep reading to learn why so many people forget about fiber, how you can bridge the fiber gap and the tastiest new way to help hit your fiber goals each day!

Understanding the Fiber Gap

Fiber is the only nutrient that doesn’t get broken down by the gut – and it contains zero calories. The dietary fiber recommendations vary by sex and age. Women ages 19 to 50 should aim to get about 28 grams daily, while men need 38 grams, according to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. (Your nutritional needs changes slightly after age 50.) Consuming adequate amounts of fiber can help support heart health, gut health, mood and more.*

One reason why people might have a fiber gap (or be hesitant to think about it) is because of its role in supporting regularity. Yes, going #2 isn’t something we want to think or talk about very often. But guess what? Regularity can mean you don’t have to think or talk about it very often (because BMs become NBD).

In whole food form, fiber is found in foods that also deliver carbohydrates. That’s because fiber is actually a carb that your body can’t digest, so it passes right on through, bestowing benefits along the way.

Diets that are rich in fiber score high in benefits for mind and body – from the Mediterranean diet to a plant-based one. But those diets are also based on whole foods, which require time and energy to prepare and consume. In today’s busy modern world where we rarely get to slow down, let alone eat a balanced meal while sitting down at a table, it can be a challenge to consume enough fiber and other macronutrients. But we’ll offer some tips to help you try your hardest to meet your goals. Fiber gap? Not on our watch!  

Why Fiber Is a Nutrient of Concern

Dietary fiber is essential for maintaining overall wellness, yet most people consume far less than the recommended daily amount. Here's why fiber is a nutrient of concern – and why we should be concerned if we have a fiber gap:

Underconsumption: Most individuals fall short of the recommended daily fiber intake, which can affect regularity and digestive comfort.

Digestive support: This macronutrient helps support normal bowel function and promotes healthy elimination.

Satiety: Fiber helps promote feelings of fullness, which can support a healthy lifestyle combined with diet and exercise.

Healthy blood sugar response: Soluble fiber can help slow digestion, supporting a balanced post-meal blood sugar response.

Heart health support: Certain types of fiber, such as soluble fiber, are known to help support healthy cholesterol levels already within the normal range.

Gut microbiome balance: Fermentable fibers serve as prebiotics, which help nourish beneficial gut bacteria.

Types of Fiber: Soluble, Insoluble & Fermentable

There are two basic forms of fiber, soluble and insoluble, along with another category that offers its own special benefits for the gut microbiome and other aspects of health.

Soluble fiber

• This fiber dissolves in water, which forms a gel-like barrier in the lining of the gut. Soluble fiber helps the body absorb nutrients. It also supports heart health and healthy cholesterol levels within normal ranges.*
• Sources include: psyllium husk, oats, legumes (lentils and beans), green vegetables and some fruits.

Insoluble fiber

• This is the type of fiber that helps to bulks up your stool, to speed up digestion. You might hear it called “roughage.”
• Sources include: nuts and seeds, leafy greens, whole grains, wheat bran and vegetables.

Fermentable fiber

• Fermentable fiber is a type of indigestible carbohydrate that is easily metabolized by the microflora in the gut.
• Prebiotics are a type of fermentable fiber that serves as food for the good bacteria in our gut microbiome. By feeding probiotics, prebiotics help maintain digestive health and regularity.*
• Sources include: Solnul® fiber, chicory root, pea fiber, green bananas, cooked and cooled rice and pasta, onions, garlic and supplements.

Fun fact: Most insoluble fiber is not fermentable, while most soluble fiber is fermentable. The fiber we use in Let’s Go Fiber+, Solnul®, is both insoluble and fermentable. It really stands out as a resistant starch! Plus, it’s FODMAP-friendly (IYKYK!) and Certified Upcycled, meaning it’s made from perfectly good food that would have otherwise gone to waste. (FODMAPs = sugars that may cause digestive discomfort in sensitive individuals. FODMAP-friendly means that a fiber doesn’t contain those types of sugars.)

The Role of Fiber in Gut Health and Satiety

Fiber is a secret weapon for your digestive happiness. Zero calories yet filling, with its own superpowers, there’s nothing quite like it. Here are the three key takeaways about fiber:

Fiber helps you keep it regular.*

Perhaps the best-known benefit of fiber is its ability to help promote normal, healthy and comfortable bowel movements.* We know: No one wants to think about it, but adding bulk and volume to stool with insoluble fiber promotes ease when nature calls.

Eating patterns that are high in certain fibers can promote bowel regularity and other aspects of GI health.*

Fiber helps satisfy your hunger.*

Fiber is filling but has no calories, so it promotes a feeling of satiety or fullness. This can help support your overall diet and manage hunger throughout the day.* Think of fiber as pumping the brakes after you eat, so that you feel fuller for longer.

Some studies show that fiber can help boost satiety hormones that keep you feeling full, like cholecystokinin, while helping lower levels of hunger hormones like ghrelin.

Fiber helps support the work of probiotics.*

Prebiotic fiber delivers the food that probiotics need to maintain a healthy balance of beneficial flora in the gut.* This helps give your digestion a boost.*

Let’s Go Fiber+: What Makes It Different

Let’s Go Fiber+ is a fiber drink mix that includes prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics for daily regularity and gut health.* With 5 g of fiber per serving, it delivers everything needed to get things going and get going with the day.

Our new digestive health supplement includes a fermentable and upcycled resistant starch, sustainable acacia fiber, 1 billion CFUs of probiotics (Bacillus coagulans) and the clinically studied postbiotic Bifidobacterium longum HT-ES1, to support the microbiome.*

Naturally sweetened with stevia, it tastes great and blends easily in water. Available in both Tropical and Strawberry Kiwi flavors. Simply mix 1 scoop with 12 ounces of cool water once per day. This is definitely not the same old fiber supplement powder you might have tried in the past! This fiber drink mix is super easy to add to your day – just mix, sip and thrive!

Sustainable Solutions with Certified Upcycled Ingredients

We used Solnul® Resistant Potato Starch, as well as inavea™ Pure Acacia, which is sustainably harvested, promotes biodiversity preservation and supports local farmers through fair trade. This potato starch is actually Certified Upcycled, meaning it is made from perfectly good, edible food that might otherwise have gone to waste. That’s good news for you – and the planet. Acacia fiber is also a sustainable source, and we love that our source helps benefit the women who harvest the plant and their communities.

21 Easy Ways to Boost Your Fiber Intake Daily

Hitting your fiber goals each day might seem intimidating at first. Read on to learn how to increase fiber intake and add more to each meal and snack. If the daily fiber intake guidelines seem intimidating, start slow! This list of the best fiber foods may also help, and you may also want to commit to making a couple of plant-based, high-fiber recipes each week.

21 tips to help you try your hardest to meet your goals (without trying all that hard)

1. Choose whole grains whenever possible. Refined flours (aka “white” flours) have had their bran removed, resulting in a smoother texture but little to no fiber. Instead, choose whole-wheat flour and pasta, brown rice and other whole grains, like bulgur, spelt and barley.

2. Opt for steel-cut or rolled oats over instant ones. Consider adding a spoonful of wheat germ or oat bran into your morning oatmeal.

3. Ask for a whole-wheat or corn tortilla instead of white flour ones. Or choose lettuce cups or a salad instead.

4. Swap sugary cereals for high-fiber ones. If you really can’t give up your favorite fruity cereal, mix the two.

5. Snack on raw vegetables like cucumbers, carrots and jicama, with hummus or guacamole. Yes, avocados also provide fiber!

6. Give your water some guts, by stirring in a serving of Let’s Go Fiber+.

7. Mix shredded beets, carrots and zucchini or minced onions and peppers into burgers and meatballs.

8. Add beans and legumes to meals – even ones that contain meat. Drain and rinse canned ones, then use on salads, in soups and in casseroles.

9. Roast sheet pans full of colorful root vegetables. From potatoes and yams to beets and carrots, these make a simple and tasty side. (And eating precooked, cooled and reheated potatoes boosts their resistant starch – aka fermentable fiber.)

10. Stir pumpkin puree into oatmeal, sauces and smoothies.

11. Sprinkle chia seeds, ground flax seed and hemp seeds on yogurt or acai bowls.

12. Add berries on the side of meals or mix them in to oatmeal or yogurt.

13. Snack on nuts and seeds. Choose unsalted when possible.

14. Chew on a serving of Fiber+ Gummies – they taste like an Italian summer spritz, thanks to the natural blood orange flavor.

15. On road trips, stop at a grocery store to build your own salad in the produce section. These salad bars are often cheaper than a restaurant!

16. Choose whole fruit over juices whenever possible.

17. Mix chia seeds with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, protein powder and cocoa for a tasty “pudding.”

18. Top salads with chopped nuts instead of croutons.

19. Puree white beans or cashews into sauces and soups instead of cream or milk.

20. Keep the skins on fruits and vegetables whenever possible – they contain the most fiber in many cases!

21. Keep Enzymedica’s Digest Gold Fiber+ Cookies close at hand when you need to add more fiber to your day!*