Understanding Fiber - Diabetes Education Online (2024)

FAQs

Does fiber really cancel out carbs? ›

On Nutrition Facts food labels, the grams of dietary fiber are already included in the total carbohydrate count. But because fiber is a type of carbohydrate that your body can't digest, it does not affect your blood sugar levels. You should subtract the grams of fiber from the total carbohydrate.

Those with prediabetes, type 1, or type 2 diabetes should increase their dietary fibre intakes by 15 g per day or to 35 g per day. One practical way to increase fibre intakes is to replace refined grain products with whole grain foods.

Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance in your stomach, slowing down digestion. This helps control your blood sugar and cholesterol.

Here's how the 5:1 rule works. Simply look at the ratio of grams of carbohydrates to grams of dietary fibre. Divide the carbohydrates by the dietary fibre. You want a 5:1 ratio or less.

According to the CDC, people living with diabetes should get about 45% of their total calories each day from carbohydrates. For females, they recommend 3–4 servings of carbohydrates, at 15 grams (g) per serving. For males, they recommend a slightly higher amount of 4–5 servings. This is equivalent to 45–75 g each meal.

Soluble fiber.

This type of fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium.

In a report by a team of Canadian researchers,¹ individuals who regularly consumed soluble fiber were found to have lower hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, an important benchmark for people with diabetes.

Berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, are among the most nutritious fruits you can eat. Not only are they rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and compounds with anti-inflammatory effects, but research has also linked berry consumption with improved glycemic control.

Oatmeal can be a good option for people with diabetes. Oatmeal has a low glycemic index (GI) score, and the soluble fiber and beneficial compounds in oats may help people control markers of diabetes.

Is Metamucil good for diabetics? ›

Metamucil powders and capsules can both help maintain healthy blood sugar levels* when taken as directed. Check with your health care professional if you are currently using any medications to control your blood sugar levels.

Hydrate. Flush out all that sweet stuff from your system by hydrating ASAP with water or other low-sugar fluids, and foods high in water content. "Drink plenty of water and go for foods like watermelon, cucumbers, strawberries and yogurt," Seaver says.

For healthy individuals, aim for 800-1080 calories from carbohydrates on an 1800-calorie diet. If your calorie intake is lower, adjust your carbs accordingly. A higher-calorie intake each day means that you will lose weight slower.

This essentially means that fiber doesn't cancel out carbohydrates, but does help your body process them. A diet lacking in fiber would likely cause digestive system problems, like constipation, as your gastrointestinal tract would struggle to process the food you're eating.

Fiber has another neat trick. It slows down carbohydrate digestion, so your bloodstream isn't flooded with sugar after you eat, say, a piece of fruit or a baked potato. So, it helps prevent the cycle of blood sugar spikes and crashes that can zap your energy and trigger hunger.

One of the many functional benefits of dietary fibre when present in the human diet is its ability to reduce the rate of absorption of glucose after consumption of high glycaemic carbohydrate-containing foods, leading to a blunted blood glucose response curve and less demand for insulin.

People on keto diets often avoid fruits, assuming they contain too much sugar. However, berries, like raspberries, are not only high in dietary fiber, but their fiber content also helps to offset their carbohydrate (or sugar) content.

Fiber, protein and fats help to slow down the digestion of carbs and delay their absorption into the blood. This helps to prevent spikes in glucose levels after eating.