Eating enough fiber can do wonders for your body. It helps with digestion, lowers your risk of certain diseases, and might even help you live a longer, healthier life.
That’s why a new health trend called “fibermaxxing” is becoming popular. It simply means eating the right amount of fiber for your body every day.
Jennifer Lee, a scientist at Tufts University, says she’s glad to see people finally paying attention to the importance of fiber. According to Lee, most people live about nine years in poor health at the end of their lives. So, it makes sense that many are now looking for ways to stay healthy longer—not just live longer.
Research shows that not getting enough fiber over time can lead to serious health problems like obesity, diabetes, and even some types of cancer, such as colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer. If you’re not eating enough fiber, you may be getting too many calories from other sources like sugar and fat, which can cause weight gain and other health issues.
Lee says the more fiber you eat, the more benefits you’ll see. That includes better digestion, a healthier gut, and a lower risk of disease. The current U.S. dietary guidelines suggest that adults should eat between 22 and 34 grams of fiber per day, depending on their age and sex. A general rule is to aim for 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories you eat.
For example, a woman between 19 and 30 years old who eats about 2,000 calories a day should aim for 28 grams of fiber. A man in the same age range should aim for 34 grams.
There are two main types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Both are important for your health.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water and turns into a gel in your gut. This helps slow digestion, keeping you full longer. It also helps control blood sugar levels and lowers cholesterol.
Plus, soluble fiber feeds the good bacteria in your gut, helping your microbiome stay balanced. Foods rich in soluble fiber include apples, bananas, avocados, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, beans, lentils, and oatmeal.
Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water. Your body can’t absorb it, so it doesn’t add calories, but it helps move food through your digestive system. It bulks up your stool and helps prevent constipation. You can get insoluble fiber from foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, and some vegetables.
To get the best results, aim for a 2-to-1 ratio of insoluble to soluble fiber. So, if you’re trying to eat 30 grams of fiber a day, that would mean about 20 grams of insoluble fiber and 10 grams of soluble fiber.
If you find it hard to get enough fiber from food alone, fiber supplements can help. These come in pill form or as powders you mix into drinks.
But Lee warns that adding more fiber too quickly can cause problems like gas, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea. It’s important to listen to your body and make changes slowly. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water—fiber needs water to do its job properly.
In the end, adding more fiber to your diet can help you feel better every day and keep your body healthier as you age. Whether it’s from food or supplements, getting enough fiber is one of the simplest ways to protect your long-term health.
If you care about gut health, please read studies about how high blood pressure medicine might affect your gut and origin of Parkinson’s disease is in the gut.
If you care about gut health, please read studies that your gut can help lower your blood pressure: here’s how and from shock to awe: a zap in the gut could be the new insulin for people with diabetes.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
