Types of Fiber and Their Health Benefits

 Fibre benefits

There are several types of fiber that function differently and provide distinctive health benefits.

You may be familiar with the terms "soluble fiber" and "insoluble fiber," but within each category there are many different fibers. Soluble fibers bind with fatty acids and slow digestion so blood sugars are released more slowly into the body. These fibers help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and help regulate blood sugar levels for people with diabetes. Insoluble fibers help move waste through the intestines and control the pH levels in the intestines. These fibers help prevent constipation and keep you regular.

Most Americans get both types of fiber from two sources: Their diet and added “functional” fiber. Dietary fibers are found naturally in the fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains that we eat. Functional fiber, a growing trend in the food industry, is fiber that has been isolated and extracted from plants or animal sources and added to drinks and food products to boost their fiber content. Both sources offer the same health benefits.

Most nutritionists encourage getting fiber from whole foods that we eat because they contain many other healthful plant compounds. But if you don’t get enough fiber in your diet -- 25 to 38 grams a day is ideal -- added functional fibers can help fill in the gap.
Eating a wide variety of fibers is the ideal solution to gaining all the health benefits. This chart shows the most types of dietary and functional fibers, where they come from, and how they benefit health.

Types of Fiber	Soluble or Insoluble	Sources	Health Benefits
Cellulose,some hemicellulose	Insoluble	Naturally found in nuts, whole wheat, whole grains, bran, seeds, edible brown rice, skins of produce.	"Nature's laxative": Reduces constipation,lowers risk of diverticulitis, can help with weight loss.
Inulin oligofructose	Soluble	Extracted from onions and byproducts of sugar production from beets or chicory root. Added to processed foods to increase fiber.	May increase beneficial bacteria in the gut as prebiotic and enhance immune function.
Lignin	Insoluble	Found naturally in flax, rye, some vegetables.	Benefits heart health and possibly immune function.
Mucilage, beta-glucans	Soluble	Naturally found in oats, oat bran, beans, peas, barley, flaxseed, berries, soybeans, bananas, oranges, apples, carrots.	Helps lower bad LDL cholesterol, reduces risk of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Pectin and gums	Soluble (some pectins can be insoluble)	Naturally found in fruits, berries, and seeds. Also extracted from citrus peel and other plants boost fiber in processed foods.	Slows the passage of food through the intestinal GI tract, helps lower blood cholesterol.
Polydextrose polyols	Soluble	Added to processed foods as a bulking agent and sugar substitute. Made from dextrose, sorbitol, and citric acid.	Adds bulk to stools, helps prevent constipation.
Psyllium	Soluble	Extracted from rushed seeds or husks of plantago ovata plant. Used in supplements, fiber drinks, and added to foods.	Helps lower cholesterol and prevent constipation.
Resistant starch	Soluble	Starch in plant cell walls naturally found in unripened bananas, oatmeal, and legumes. Also extracted and added to processed foods to increase fiber.	Helps weight management by increasing fullness.
Wheat dextrin	Soluble	Extracted from wheat starch, and widely used to add fiber in processed foods.	Helps lower cholesterol (LDL and total cholesterol), reduces risk of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes.