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PROTEIN\u2019S PR TEAM<\/strong> has been working overtime lately, and it\u2019s paying off. It feels like everyone has a protein goal<\/a>, cottage cheese<\/a> is being added to random recipes, and shelves are lined with brand-new products engineered to have more of the macro. But where protein is the hero and carbs are unfairly demonized, there\u2019s another nutrient that people are sleeping on altogether: fiber<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIn America, unless you’re food-compromised, you are probably getting enough protein,\u201d says Vanessa Rissetto, RD, the co-founder and CEO of Culina Health<\/a>. \u201cYou need to get more fiber.\u201d<\/p>\n Fiber, admittedly, isn\u2019t the sexiest macro\u2014it\u2019s best known for helping you go to the bathroom\u2014but it is super important. As of 2025, over 90 percent of women aren\u2019t meeting their daily fiber goals, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans<\/a>. The National Academy of Medicine recommends<\/a> that women under 50 years old should consume 25 grams of fiber per day.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to close that gap by incorporating more high-fiber foods<\/a> into your diet because it has a bunch of benefits. Yes, fiber can help you go to the bathroom, but it also lowers your risk of cancer<\/a> and supports gut health.<\/p>\n Meet the experts:<\/strong> Vanessa Rissetto, RD, is the co-founder and CEO of Culina Health<\/a>. Dana White<\/a>, RD, is a sports nutritionist and trainer.<\/p>\n Fiber Health Benefits1. It helps keep you regular.<\/strong><\/p>\n This is probably one thing you do know about fiber: it helps you go to the bathroom. There are two types of fiber\u2014soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, forming a gel-like consistency and softening your stool, says Rissetto. Think: chia seeds, oats, broccoli, and berries. If you\u2019re having trouble getting things moving, try increasing your soluble fiber intake. Psyllium<\/a>, a common soluble fiber supplement, was found to increase bowel movements by three times per week compared to laxatives, which increased them by 2.5 times, according to a 2022 review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool. Examples of insoluble fiber are whole wheat flour, beans, nuts, and potatoes. If you\u2019re having trouble going to the bathroom regularly, a balance of soluble and insoluble fiber should help.<\/p>\n 2. It might lower your cholesterol.<\/strong><\/p>\n You know how Cheerios claim to help with cholesterol<\/a>? That\u2019s because they\u2019re a source of soluble fiber, says Dana White, RD, a sports nutritionist and trainer. Fiber is non-digestible, meaning it travels throughout your GI tract without getting broken down\u2014and that\u2019s where a lot of its benefits come from. Soluble fiber sticks around and ferments in the gut, which alters the microbiome<\/a> and helps lower your cholesterol. It also helps absorb cholesterol and promote its exit from the body, says Rissetto.<\/p>\n In a randomized controlled trial, researchers found that increasing fiber intake significantly reduced LDL cholesterol (the bad kind), according to a 2023 study in Advances in Nutrition<\/a>.<\/p>\n 3. It keeps you full. <\/strong><\/p>\n Like protein, fiber can help keep you full. There are a few reasons for this. First, it slows nutrient absorption, according to a 2022 review in Nature<\/a>. Second, it affects gastric emptying, blood sugar spikes, and the secretion of the often-discussed hormone glucagon-like peptide-1<\/a> (GLP-1), per a 2022 review in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition<\/a>. (GLP-1 is the hormone that weight loss drugs like Ozempic<\/a> mimic that helps signal to your body that you\u2019re full.)<\/p>\n For this reason, it\u2019s sometimes used to help with weight management, says Rissetto. And while it can help keep you full, fibermaxxing<\/a>\u2014the trend in which people try to overload on fiber to help with weight loss\u2014is not necessarily the way to go, she says. Contrary to what the internet says<\/a>, fiber is not the \u201cpoor man\u2019s Ozempic.\u201d<\/p>\n 4. It supports gut health.<\/strong><\/p>\n Eating diverse sources of fiber helps fuel a healthier gut microbiome. Your microbiome renews every 60 days, and many factors\u2014from stress to your environment to your diet\u2014can affect it. Fiber is one of those factors. \u201cThe more fiber you have, the healthier your GI tract will be,\u201d says Rissetto.<\/p>\n Fiber is a prebiotic<\/a>, meaning it serves as food so that the probiotics<\/a> (the good bacteria in your gut) can do their thing. \u201cWhen you\u2019re eating enough fiber, you are healthier, your immunity is higher when it\u2019s coupled with vitamin D<\/a>, and so your body can do better work,\u201d Rissetto says. But fiber isn\u2019t the end-all-be-all of a healthy gut. You\u2019ll want to make sure you eat probiotic foods<\/a> like yogurt and kimchi too.<\/p>\n 5. It reduces your cancer risk.<\/strong><\/p>\n Another good reason to take your fiber intake seriously is that it\u2019s associated with a lower risk of many types of cancer, including esophageal, gastric, colon, rectal, breast, endometrial, ovarian, and pancreatic, according to a 2023 review in Nutrients<\/a>.<\/p>\n As for why, exactly, there\u2019s still more research to be done. But, at its simplest, since fiber helps increase the bulk of your stool and decrease transit time, it can dilute the amount of carcinogens in your colon and reduce your exposure to them, the review explains.<\/p>\n It also might indicate other healthy habits that reduce cancer risk. \u201cIt’s about the behavior,\u201d says Rissetto. \u201cPeople who are eating adequate amounts of fiber are eating vegetables and fruits; they\u2019re getting the benefits of the vitamins, the minerals, the antioxidants, and the diversification of the gut microbiome.\u201d<\/p>\n Are You Eating Fiber Correctly?<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re one of the many people who don\u2019t eat enough fiber right now, don\u2019t go from zero to 30 grams right off the bat. You\u2019re going to want to gradually increase your fiber intake, mainly to prevent gastrointestinal side effects.<\/p>\n