Soluble fiber: what it is, benefits and foods that contain it

Soluble fibers are a type of fiber found mainly in fruits, cereals, legumes and vegetables and dissolve in water. They form a mixture of viscous consistency in the stomach, which increases the feeling of satiety, because the food remains longer in the stomach.

In addition to this, soluble fibers help to avoid constipation, because they attract water to the stool, hydrating it and making it softer, facilitating its passage through the intestines.

Foods contain both soluble and insoluble fibers, what varies is the amount they contain of one fiber and another, which is why it is important to vary foods and make a balanced diet.

Main benefits

Regular consumption of soluble fibers could provide various benefits to the body, including:

Decrease appetite because they form a viscous gel and remain longer in the stomach, increasing the feeling of satiety and promoting weight loss;

Improve the functioning of the intestine, since being fibers that are not digested by the organism, they favor the increase of stool volume and hydrate the fecal bolus, being excellent to regulate its functioning;

Reduce total and LDL cholesterol, as well as triglycerides, because they decrease the absorption of fat from food, increase the excretion of bile acids and because when fermented in the intestine by bacteria, it produces short-chain fatty acids, inhibiting the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver;

Decrease the absorption of glucose from food, because by forming a gel in the stomach, it slows the entry of nutrients into the small intestine, decreasing the absorption of glucose and fats, being excellent for people with prediabetes and diabetes;

Reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and prevent the emergence of gastrointestinal diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and diverticulitis;

Prevent the appearance of acne, because it favors the elimination of toxins from the body, making the skin more beautiful;

Maintain healthy bacterial flora, this is because being a non-digestible soluble fiber, it serves as food for the good bacteria of the intestine, helping to maintain a balance of the intestinal microbiota, being for this reason considered as a prebiotic.

Soluble fibers are easily fermented by bacteria in the colon, which adjusts the pH and thus inhibits the bacterial conversion of bile acids into secondary compounds with carcinogenic activity, so it is believed that this type of fiber may protect against the development of colon cancer.

Foods rich in soluble fibers

The table below reflects the amount of soluble, insoluble and total fibers contained in some foods:

The content and degree of viscosity of the fiber will depend on the degree of maturity of the vegetable, therefore, the more mature they are, the greater the amount of certain types of soluble fibers, such as cellulose and lignin, while reducing the content of another type of soluble fiber, pectin.

The amount of total dietary fiber consumed daily should be approximately 25 g, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), so the ideal amount of soluble fiber to be ingested should be 6 g.

Soluble fiber dietary supplements

Dietary fiber supplements can be used when it is not possible to consume the required amount of fiber daily; they provide the same benefits. Some examples are Optifibre, Metamucil, Bioflolac, Benefiber, Chiacaps fiber, Simple fiber and Fiber Good.

These fibers can be purchased in capsules or in powder form, which can be diluted in water, tea, milk or natural fruit juice or even added to food.