Top 8 Benefits of Eating Fiber


Here at Appleton's Market, we absolutely love fiber - the natural kind :) Whether it be from our crisp kale or Swiss chard, or our nutty quinoa and smooth chickpea flour, our Power Veggie Bites are full of it. We just can't get enough of it around here. And for good reason - eating the right amount of fiber has a huge impact on your health and well-being. Check out our top 8 reasons for packing more fiber into your day. 

 top 8 reasons to eat more fiber heathy power veggie bites appletons market

1. You'll Lose Weight 

If you do nothing more than add more fiber to your diet, you will see the pound(s) drop off. Fiber-rich foods not only fill you up faster and keep you satisfied longer, they also prevent your body from absorbing some of the calories in the foods you eat. Some studies have shown that increasing fiber intake can reduce calorie intake by around 100 calories per day - that adds up! 

2. Be more regular 

Nothing keeps the ol' GI track moving like healthy fiber pushing through! 

3. Reduce the risk of different cancers

Studies have shown that increasing your fiber intake can help reduce your risks of colorectal cancer and breast cancer. So it's not necessarily the apple a day the keeps the doctor away, it's all those delicious fruits and veggies. 

4. Keep Type 2 Diabetes in check  
Those who consumer the most fiber show a significant lowering of risk of Type 2 Diabetes vs those who have the least. Doctors think that it could be due to two factors - keeping blood sugar levels steady and keeping you at a healthy weight - and combined these two factors make you a much less likely candidate for the disease. 

5. Help maintain a healthy weight

Yup, it not only can help you shed those pounds but keep them off, too. The feeling of satiety (fullness) that you get when you eat fiber-rich foods, the evening out of your blood sugar, and the subsequent lowering of "sugar crashes" help keep your body at a healthier weight.  

6. Reduce your risk of heart disease 
Those who eat more fiber have a lower risk of developing heart disease. Studies have shown that for every 7 grams of fiber eaten per day, your risk of heart disease drops by 9 percent. This most likely has something to do with fiber's ability to prevent cholesterol from accumulating in your body (again, gotta keep those pipes moving!) 

7. Healthier gut bacteria 

The good bacteria that live in your GI tract absolutely love to feed off of the fiber you give them. This process produces short-chain fatty acids that are extremely beneficial to you - both in lowering inflammation and reducing bloat. 

8. Detox the old fashioned way
While many products (I'm looking at you juice cleanses!) claim to be great for "detoxing your gut" there is nothing more effective than good old fashioned fiber for keeping things "clean." Fiber both soaks up the bad stuff in your GI tract and keeps things moving along more quickly so they have less time to spend in your body and cause trouble.