The Truth About Fiber and How it Can Make A Big Difference in Your Blood Sugars

*Disclaimer: All content and information in this blog is for informational and educational purposes only. Always consult your health care provider before making any adjustments to your exercise routine or diabetes management.

Have you ever paid attention to how fiber impacts your blood sugars?

Between net carbs, glycemic index, prebiotics, and learning how different foods impact your blood sugars – it can be confusing on knowing what to do with the dietary fiber information.

Fiber is a micronutrient in our foods and essentially is not fully digested by the body; adding bulk to stool and creating regularity. I know, not very glamorous, but fiber can also help slow down digestion which means it can slow down blood sugar spikes to pair better with timing of insulin. And if that wasn’t a win in and of itself, fiber can also improve satiety levels, lower cholesterol, feed probiotics in our gut, aid in maintaining a healthy weight, and prevents colon cancer. Recommended daily fiber intake is 25-38g per day.

You may have heard of the glycemic index and actually it is mostly based on fiber. Glycemic index refers to the rate at which a food raises blood sugar levels. High glycemic index foods such as watermelon, white bread, or candy raise blood sugar levels quickly. While low glycemic index foods like beans, broccoli, and whole grain pasta raise blood sugars more slowly due to their high fiber content.

Now the tricky part is: should you subtract dietary fiber from the total carbohydrates or not?

And to be honest: it’s personal! Foods impact everyone differently with T1D, so this may take some experimenting. But it starts with reading the dietary fiber content on the food label listed under total carbohydrates. When the fiber content is greater than 5g it will make the most impact on BG levels. Consider subtracting the fiber content from total carbohydrate content or just the insoluble fiber content because that type of fiber cannot dissolve in water and will make the greatest impact on blood sugar spikes. It can also depend on the type of food! Many food brands have been adding chicory root fiber or inulin to increase total fiber content, which may have a different impact that naturally occurring fibers found in nuts, seeds, whole grains, or vegetables.

Also you can increase your dietary fiber intake by trying adding resistant starches. Resistant starches are starches that have been cooked and cooled, then reheated before consuming. Kind of like leftovers! Resistant starches are mainly found in cooked and cooled whole grains, potatoes and bananas. Studies have shown consuming resistant starches may aid in lowering fasting glucose levels, improving insulin sensitivity and improving blood lipid levels. Consider fiber content when bolusing for resistant starches to avoid hypoglycemia.

If you’re trying to add more fiber to your meals consider boosting fruit and vegetable intake, switching to high fiber whole grains or add nuts or seeds to oats, salads or yogurt.

Consider consulting with your diabetes care team on how to change your dosing strategies around fiber intake.

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