What does fiber do for the body?
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  • Writer's pictureAntonio Gore

What does fiber do for the body?

If you’re interested in dramatically revamping your body’s metabolic system, then read these studies on the benefits of fiber and learn from their findings.


Below are 57+ studies on the why and how that fiber affects bodily functions. From vital organ processes, overall disposition, serotonin production, to energy and integumentary health, fiber plays a key role in it all because of its dramatic affect on the gut.

{update: this list is in constant revision, as author also uses for log of science-backed, fiber-based studies}


  1. Effects of dietary fibre intake on risk factors for cardiovascular disease in subjects at high risk https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19289389/

  2. Intake of Fibre-Associated Foods and Texture Preferences in Relation to Weight Status Among 9–12 Years Old Children in 6 European Countries — The last two lines prove interesting in child development https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33681278/

  3. Position of the American Dietetic Association: health implications of dietary fiber https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12146567/

  4. Filling America’s fiber intake gap: summary of a roundtable to probe realistic solutions with a focus on grain-based foods https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22649260/

  5. Dietary fiber and its associations with depression and inflammation https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31750916/

  6. Dietary fiber and blood pressure control https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26923351/

  7. Prebiotic effects: metabolic and health benefits https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20920376/

  8. Resistant starches protect against colonic DNA damage and alter microbiota and gene expression in rats fed a Western diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22457395/

  9. Dietary fibers, prebiotics, and exopolysaccharides produced by lactic acid bacteria: potential health benefits with special regard to cholesterol-lowering effects https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29790546/

  10. Beneficial effects of high dietary fiber intake in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10805824/

  11. Dietary fibre to reduce colon cancer risk in Alaska Native people: the Alaska FIRST randomized clinical trial protocol https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34452959/

  12. Dietary fiber and body weight https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15797686/

  13. Resistant Starches and Non-Communicable Disease: A Focus on Mediterranean Diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34574171/

  14. The Health Benefits of Dietary Fibre https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33096647/

  15. Diet and metabolic syndrome: where does resistant starch fit in? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15287676/

  16. Resistant starch: promise for improving human health https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24228189/

  17. Role of resistant starch in improving gut health, adiposity, and insulin resistance https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25770258/

  18. Experiences with three different fiber supplements in weight reduction https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15614200/

  19. Dietary fibre and cardiovascular health: a review of current evidence and policy https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31266545/

  20. Resistant starch: the effect on postprandial glycemia, hormonal response, and satiety https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8092089/

  21. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Health Implications of Dietary Fiber https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26514720/

  22. Resistant starch and “the butyrate revolution” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924224402001310

  23. The neuropharmacology of butyrate: The bread and butter of the microbiota-gut-brain axis? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27346602/

  24. Effect of test meals of varying dietary fiber content on plasma insulin and glucose response https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6259922/

  25. Dietary Fiber, Atherosclerosis, and Cardiovascular Disease https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31126110/

  26. Fiber and prebiotics: mechanisms and health benefits https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23609775/

  27. Effects of differences in amount and kind of dietary carbohydrate on plasma glucose and insulin responses in man https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/389023/

  28. Dietary Fiber and Metabolic Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Related Mechanisms https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29278406/

  29. Fermentation characteristics of resistant starch, arabinoxylan, and β-glucan and their effects on the gut microbial ecology of pigs: A review https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240565451830249X

  30. Dietary fiber and prebiotics and the gastrointestinal microbiota https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28165863/

  31. Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18461293/

  32. New Horizons for the Study of Dietary Fiber and Health: A Review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26847187/

  33. Review article: probiotics and prebiotics in irritable bowel syndrome https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18532993/

  34. Impacts of Gut Bacteria on Human Health and Diseases https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425030/pdf/ijms-16-07493.pdf

  35. Food-based strategies to modulate the composition of the intestinal microbiota and their associated health effects https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20224145/

  36. Prebiotic effects of inulin and oligofructose https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12088518/

  37. Dietary fibre in gastrointestinal health and disease https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33208922/

  38. Butyrate and Dietary Soluble Fiber Improve Neuroinflammation Associated With Aging in Mice https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30154787/

  39. Prebiotic Galactooligosaccharide Supplementation in Adults with Ulcerative Colitis: Exploring the Impact on Peripheral Blood Gene Expression, Gut Microbiota, and Clinical Symptoms https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34684597/

  40. Fiber Intake Predicts Weight Loss and Dietary Adherence in Adults Consuming Calorie-Restricted Diets: The POUNDS Lost (Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies) Study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31174214/

  41. Dietary resistant starch dose-dependently reduces adiposity in obesity-prone and obesity-resistant male rats https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3541085/

  42. Dietary support in insulin resistance: An overview of current scientific reports https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31756065/

  43. Microbiota’s Role in Diet-Driven Alterations in Food Intake: Satiety, Energy Balance, and Reward https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34578945/

  44. Appetite and Satiety Control — Contribution of Gut Mechanisms https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/10/3635/htm

  45. Gut Hormones in Health and Obesity: The Upcoming Role of Short Chain Fatty Acids https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33572661/

  46. Impact of Dietary Fiber Consumption on Insulin Resistance and the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29378044/

  47. Lifestyle Factors and 5-Year Abdominal Fat Accumulation in a Minority Cohort: The IRAS Family Study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3856431/

  48. Colonic fermentation of indigestible carbohydrates contributes to the second-meal effect https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16600933/

  49. Role of polysaccharides in food, digestion, and health https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25921546/

  50. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11832527/

  51. Resistant Starch: Promise for Improving Human Health https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3823506/#bib133

  52. Resistant starches for the management of metabolic diseases https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26406392/

  53. Effects of dietary fiber and its components on metabolic health https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22254008/

  54. Colonic health: fermentation and short chain fatty acids https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16633129/

  55. A Novel Grape-Derived Prebiotic Selectively Enhances Abundance and Metabolic Activity of Butyrate-Producing Bacteria in Faecal Samples https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33833742/

  56. Wood-Derived Dietary Fibers Promote Beneficial Human Gut Microbiota https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30674645/

  57. Resistant starch, large bowel fermentation and a broader perspective of prebiotics and probiotics https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21831780/

  58. Effects of regulating gut microbiota on the serotonin metabolism in the chronic unpredictable mild stress rat model https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31323174/

  59. Probiotics, Prebiotics and Postbiotics on Mitigation of Depression Symptoms: Modulation of the Brain-Gut-Microbiome Axis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34356624/

  60. Modulation of Gut Microbiota-Brain Axis by Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26306709/

  61. Harnessing Gut Microbes for Mental Health: Getting From Here to There https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29031410/

  62. The Gut-Brain Axis: Literature Overview and Psychiatric Applications https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34733087/

  63. From probiotics to psychobiotics — the gut-brain axis in psychiatric disorders https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33191776/

  64. Prebiotics and probiotics for depression and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31004628/

  65. Fermented foods, the gut and mental health: a mechanistic overview with implications for depression and anxiety https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30415609/

  66. Breaking down the barriers: the gut microbiome, intestinal permeability and stress-related psychiatric disorders https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26528128/

  67. Dietary fiber for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22218620/

  68. Propionate as a health-promoting microbial metabolite in the human gut https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21521227/

  69. Understanding the Physics of Functional Fibers in the Gastrointestinal Tract: An Evidence-Based Approach to Resolving Enduring Misconceptions about Insoluble and Soluble Fiber https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27863994/

  70. The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2020.00025/full


A fiber-based diet approach can reach each system of the body. From the neurocognition to, of course, the defecation process, fiber has far-reaching effects. But as you can see, fiber goes beyond the shi*. Bookmark or favorite this page to come back and see what other studies are being done, or if you just need a refresher. Much of this was foundational in the formation of ProFiber Food, which you can read about here: www.profiberfood.com

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