Why Fiber Is One of the Most Important Nutrients You’re Probably Not Getting Enough Of
Fiber rarely gets top billing in wellness. It doesn’t come with instant gratification or dramatic transformations. And yet, according to Dr. Shilpa Raut, Vice President of R and D at Cymbiotika, it quietly supports nearly every system in the body.
“What is fiber? Well, it’s a carbohydrate found in plant based foods that our body cannot digest or absorb,” she explains. That unique quality is exactly what makes it so powerful.
Unlike other carbohydrates, fiber isn’t broken down for energy. Instead, it moves through the digestive tract largely intact, influencing digestion, blood sugar, hormones, mood, and long-term metabolic health.
Soluble vs Insoluble: Why Both Matter
Dr. Shilpa emphasizes that fiber works in more than one way. “There are two main types of fiber, soluble and insoluble, and we need both.”
Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel like substance in the gut. “It slows down digestion, which helps with controlling blood sugar and cholesterol. It makes you feel full and thus helps with weight management.”
Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, “does not dissolve in water. It adds bulk to your stools and moves matter through the digestive system, helping with regularity and keeping the gut healthy.”
Together, these two forms of fiber create wide-ranging benefits throughout the body.
“Fiber thus promotes digestive health by preventing constipation, supports heart health, lowers diabetes and certain cancer risks, helps weight management by making you feel full, supports healthy gut bacteria, and all this impacts hormonal balance, mood, and immune system.”
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