Are you getting enough soluble fiber?
While current USDA guidelines recommend consuming between 5-13 servings of vegetables and fruits each day, you won’t achieve optimal fiber intake even if you hit that mark.
Adults should be consuming a minimum of 25-38 grams of total dietary fiber (learn more in our Fiber 101 post!) per day, about half of that coming from soluble fiber. But without a particular focus on soluble fiber, it's unlikely that you’re reaching your full potential. Veggies and fruits alone won’t do the trick, though they are loaded with insoluble fiber.
The best dietary sources of soluble fiber are beans, lentils, chia, flax, avocado, oats and barley. A standard American Diet (SAD) is lacking in both soluble and insoluble fiber. Even a strictly whole food diet might not provide enough soluble fiber for a variety of reasons.
Many people have opted for paleo, keto, low-carb or grain-free diets. These approaches may be helping people achieve health goals, but often this means a serious reduction in soluble fiber. Even vegan diets can be lacking if too many processed foods are included on a daily basis.
The average American consumes just half of the recommended daily dose of fiber.
This contributes to the chronic and pervasive prevalence of constipation and diarrhea treated daily in the U.S. The missing link for digestive success is consuming the right balance of soluble and insoluble fiber. Whether through fresh whole foods or a dietary supplement, fiber should become a prioritized part of your daily diet. Most people are likely not getting enough fiber to optimize their health even with a focused nutritional approach.
As an example, to reach the recommended 20 grams of soluble fiber from food alone a daily diet would need to include:
- 1 cup of beans or lentils
- 1 avocado
- 2 tbsp flax seed
- 1 cup of cooked carrots or sweet potato
- 1 cup cooked broccoli or Brussels sprouts
Where Florasophy comes in
Florasophy is a soluble fiber supplement that makes it easy to reach your fiber goals each day. Each tablespoon of Florasophy contains 4 grams of soluble fiber, in a clinical blend of different fibers that was designed to optimize overall health. Florasophy users have reported improvement in their quality of life simply by adding a customized serving to their daily routine.
About Megan Barnett, MS, CNS
Megan Barnett is a functional medicine practitioner in Portland, Oregon. In her clinical practice, she helps patients identify the root cause of their health problems, then designs individualized and evidence-based approaches to alleviate symptoms and help their bodies heal. She has a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Kansas State University and a Master of Science in Nutrition and Functional Medicine from University of Western States.