Fiber and Blood Sugar Health: Understanding the Link

Today’s diets focus a lot on fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. However, fiber is also important, especially if you have diabetes or are at risk.

Fiber helps people with diabetes, prediabetes, and metabolic syndrome manage their blood sugar (glucose) levels naturally. Although fiber is readily available in many foods, about 95% of Americans don’t consume the recommended amount, and most don’t even get half that amount.

At Health Meets Wellness, our team helps people improve their fiber intake and dietary habits through individualized and patient-centered nutritional counseling. If you have diabetes or are at risk for the disease, here’s why making sure you eat enough fiber is essential.

Understanding dietary fiber

Sometimes referred to as roughage, dietary fiber is found mostly in plant foods. Most people know fiber can help regulate their bowels. However, many don’t know it also plays a role in glucose management and diabetes control.

Unlike other macronutrients, fiber isn’t digested. Instead, it passes through your body relatively “whole” and intact. 

There are two primary types of fiber: soluble fiber that dissolves in water and insoluble fiber that doesn’t. Both are important for managing your health and wellness. However, soluble fiber is especially good at helping control glucose levels.

In addition to fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds are other good sources of fiber. Adding these foods to your meals is a simple way to boost your fiber intake.

Fiber and blood sugar

When we eat, blood sugar levels rise as part of the digestive process. That means we need to make more insulin to keep glucose under control. When this balance is disrupted, your risk of diabetes increases. If you already have diabetes, the imbalance between insulin and glucose is what causes your symptoms and can lead to complications. 

Remember — fiber isn’t digested. Since the rise in blood sugar is related to the digestive process, consuming foods high in fiber won’t cause the spikes in blood sugar associated with many other types of foods. Research shows this alone helps improve glycemic control and reduce insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.

However, dietary fiber helps in other ways, too. Because it’s bulky, fiber fills you up faster and helps you feel full longer. As a result, you feel less hungry and consume fewer calories — the perfect prescription for weight management. 

Since excess weight makes it challenging to manage your insulin levels — and increases your risk of diabetes — this is another way fiber helps you keep blood sugar levels regulated.

Finally, eating more fiber also helps keep your blood vessels healthy and decreases your risk of heart disease. Since people with diabetes are more likely to develop heart disease, as well, eating more fiber is one way to reduce that risk.

Eating for health

Healthy eating can be delicious. The key is working with a nutrition expert who can help you transform your diet without losing flavor or enjoyment.

To learn more about nutrition management and how it can improve your health and wellness, call 934-203-8941 or request an appointment online with the team at Health Meets Wellness in Midtown East, New York City, today.