There are two types of fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and is linked to healthy blood sugar levels, while insoluble fiber does not dissolve, but it increases the bulk in your stool, which helps support digestion and healthy elimination. In addition to these benefits, it is clear that fiber offers health benefits beyond one's digestive tract and offers full body benefits, even for the brain.

Fiber Benefits Your Brain

Inflammation leads to aging and is a factor that can have a negative impact on brain function. However, you can reduce the inflammation in your body through lifestyle changes, which includes eating a healthy diet that is high in fiber. Studies in mice have found that high-fiber diets reduce levels of inflammation in the intestines.

For the brain, researchers have used genetic analysis to show that a diet that is high in fiber reduces inflammation in microglia, which is an immune cell in the brain that is linked to cognitive decline when inflamed. Researchers believe that the results of this mice study may also be true in people.

Low-Fiber Diets Can Be Especially Harmful for Seniors

The mice study also revealed that only older mice showed signs of inflammation in their intestines when they were eating a low-fiber diet, while the young mice didn’t show a high level of inflammation following a lack of fiber. This highlights the vulnerability of aging seniors.

However, fiber intake among seniors is especially low. It’s estimated that people who are over the age of 51 consume only 16 grams of fiber per day, which is more than 40% less than what is needed.

This puts the elderly at a high risk of disease, however, eating plenty of fiber has been linked to a longer lifespan in seniors. Studies have shown that adults over the age of 50 who have a high intake of fiber are 80% more likely to live a long and healthy life when compared to those who do not.

When compared to the seniors eating the least amount of fiber, the seniors eating a high-fiber diet were less likely to experience hypertension, diabetes, dementia, mental health disorders, and functional disability. This means that increasing your intake of fiber-rich foods can help people make it to their senior years disease-free.

Benefits of Inulin

Inulin is a soluble dietary fiber that helps increase butyrate-producing bacteria. Inulin can be found in garlic, asparagus, and onions, and is a prebiotic that helps nourish beneficial bacteria in your gut.

The beneficial bacteria help your body with digestion and the absorption of nutrients from your food and help support your immune function. Inulin is made up of chains of fructose molecules, and is converted to healthy ketones in your gut that feed your tissues. Inulin helps reduce age-related inflammation and increases immunity against infections in elderly people. Inulin has also been linked to a lower risk of diabetes, weight loss, cancer prevention, increased bone density, and improved cardiovascular health.

Fiber and Kids’ Brain Health

Children also need to ensure that they’re consuming enough dietary fiber. Like adults, many children do not eat enough dietary fiber, which may contribute to childhood obesity and even problems with brain function that impact behaviors.

One study of children aged 7 to 9 years old, found that a child's consumption of dietary fiber had a direct correlation with their performance on a tasks that required maximum cognitive control. The researchers concluded that dietary fiber can influence cognition through the gut-microbiota-brain system.

Because dietary fiber is chronically under consumed, these findings that inadequate dietary fiber intake is linked with low cognitive function in childhood raises important public health concerns.

Foods to Eat to Increase Your Fiber Intake

Despite what many believe, grains are not the best source of fiber. Grains are often doused with the herbicides which have been linked to diseases. A high-grain diet also increases insulin and leptin resistance, which then raises your risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

A better choice is to eat more vegetables, nuts, and seeds, such as husk psyllium, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, berries, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, sweet potatoes, peas and beans.