Transitioning into a keto diet can be difficult for a variety of reasons. Becoming fat adapted isn’t easy for everyone, and your body might have some issues with processing all of that fat, especially in place of carbohydrates.
Introducing additional amounts of soluble fiber is a great way to help manage digestion issues, and promote overall heart health too.
In this article, I’ll be breaking down all of the benefits of fiber, why it’s needed especially on a ketogenic diet, and exactly how you can efficiently incorporate it into your diet without risking your state of ketosis.
Keto-Friendly Foods That Are High in Fiber
One of the difficult things about finding food with fiber in it is that a lot of options aren’t necessarily keto friendly. Foods like apples, bananas, and pears are great for fiber, but they still have too much natural sugar and are inherently bad for maintaining a state of ketosis.
Some of the best keto-friendly fiber-rich foods include:
- Strawberries
- Almonds
- Spinach
- Raspberries
- Carrots
- Avocados
- Broccoli
- Artichokes
- Brussels Sprouts
- Flax Seeds
- Chia Seeds
- Cauliflower
Benefits of Dietary Fiber
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Helps maintain bowel health
Dietary fiber, either through food or through supplements, is a great way to both maintain bowel health and normalize bowel movements. The digestive system is dependent on fiber to help break down foods in an efficient way that maximizes nutrient absorption.
It’s been proven that a diet high in dietary fiber can help lower risk of developing hemorrhoids and diseases of the colon. It can also help reduce cases of indigestion, nausea, and bloating. Getting enough fiber is a good way to also boost hydration throughout your body, which is why it’s so beneficial on ketosis.
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Helps lower cholesterol
Fiber, especially soluble fiber that comes from foods like nuts, beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran has been shown to help lower total blood cholesterol levels by effectively decreasing the low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad,” cholesterol levels within our bloodstream.
Recent research has also revealed that high-fiber foods may have other heart-health benefits, including positive effects like reducing blood pressure and inflammation. It’s recommended to consume at least between 5 and 10 grams of soluble fiber per day to see these cholesterol related benefits.
While the effect isn’t always that big, it can still help contribute to reversing the effects of metabolic syndrome when combined with a healthy balanced diet and exercise.
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Lowers blood sugar levels
This is especially beneficial for both keto dieters and those who struggle with types 1 or 2 diabetes. Consuming enough soluble fiber has been proven to help slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream and help improve stabilizing blood sugar levels throughout the day. A healthy diet that includes insoluble fiber may also help to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes altogether.
This is because high fiber foods tend to have lower glycemic index levels in general, and also because they slow down the body’s digestive system, activating a sugar release at a slower rate compared to low fiber, high sugar foods.
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Promotes weight loss
Certain types of fiber can also help contribute to weight loss by improving your heart health and curbing your appetite.
Studies have shown that increasing the amount of soluble fiber in your diet is actually directly correlated with weight loss, simply because of a reduced intake of calories afterward.
Part of this happens because fiber has the ability to soak up water in the intestine, which thereby slows down the absorption of nutrients and also increases the general feeling of fullness, resulting in fewer cases of overeating.
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May reduce risk of colorectal cancer
On top of all of the day to day benefits of getting more fiber in your diet, it also has a significant connection with reducing the risk of developing colorectal cancer, which is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the world.
A variety of studies have established this link between increased dietary fiber and a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, and fiber is recommended by doctors in general for the colon because it helps to keep the organ healthy and free of harmful bacteria and build up.
Why Is Fiber Important on Keto?
Along with being an essential part of anyone’s diet plan, fiber is especially important on keto when it comes to combatting the effects of the keto flu and maintaining a healthy state of ketosis.
The dietary benefits of fiber can help fight against the uncomfortable symptoms of the keto flu, such as bloating, indigestion, diarrhea, and constipation.
Generally, foods that are high in fiber also tend to be pretty keto-friendly, as net carbs are derived by subtracting the carbs from fiber away from the total carbs in any given food. (This isn’t always the case though, jackfruit for example is high in fiber AND sugar, so always check the nutrition facts even with high fiber foods).
Another big reason nutritionists promote getting ample amounts of fiber on keto is because it offers a great way to help maintain and lower blood sugar levels.
This is important for keto because avoiding blood sugar spikes is the best way to ensure that you don’t accidentally get kicked out of your state of ketosis.
That’s why I try to shy away from low carb sugar alternatives that still have high glycemic indexes like maltodextrin or maltitol, because those blood sugar spikes can sometimes be more dangerous keto than the carbs themselves.
One difficult aspect of keto however is getting enough fiber to achieve these results. A lot of fiber-heavy foods are still high in total carbs and sugar, and they won’t always fit into your macros.
That’s why I’m a huge fan of fiber supplements. They provide all the same benefits of dietary fiber that you get from food, but often in a more efficient way, without adding too many calories or total carbohydrates to your regimen. I’ve broken down my top 7 fiber supplements for keto below.
Best Fiber Supplements for Keto
Some of the most important factors that I look for in my supplements is ease of use, price, and overall health benefits. Natural Nutra’s Super Fiber Tabs are an excellent combination of all three in my opinion
These fiber tabs have been proven to promote weight loss, support colon health, and regulate bowel movements all while being vegan-friendly, and easy to consume every day.
These tablets come with a 60/20/20 ratio of Psyllium Husk, Guar Gum, and Oat Fiber, making a mixture of soluble and insoluble fiber in every tab.
Another big plus is with Natural Nutra, every product comes with an automatic money back guarantee if you’re not satisfied within the first thirty days of purchase, so there’s really nothing to lose in trying it out.
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Psyllium husk is a type of soluble fiber that is derived from the husk of the seeds of the Plantago ovata plant.
In Metamucil, it’s combined with other types of soluble and insoluble fiber to maximize its dietary benefits. I’m more partial to the version with added stevia, but all sugar-free options are great for the keto diet.
Generally, metamucil works by making bowel movements a lot easier, without any negative digestion side effects.
Psyllium husk is also very important when it comes to your gut bacteria, because it’s 4 in 1 fiber solution is extremely efficient in soaking up the liquid from your gut, which helps regulate your appetite and helps make you feel fuller for longer periods of time.
With this powder, I recommend just mixing it in with chilled water. It’s flavored to taste just like orange juice, and goes down smoothly, without any gross aftertaste side effects like other fiber supplements
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One big struggle with getting enough fiber in your diet on keto is the fac that a lot of foods and supplements out there have unnecessarily high amounts of total carbs. Even though fiber is generally subtracted to total carbs on the keto diet, there’s often still more than enough to risk your state of ketosis. Fortunately, Ancient Nutrition’s KetoFIBER powder supplement has been designed with keto dieters in mind.
This superfood fiber formula is derived from bone broth, and includes a stellar mixture of high-fiber superfoods including chia seeds, flax seeds, and cinnamon infused with fermented herbs and MCT oils.
Each serving comes with 7 grams of total carbs, and 5 of those grams come from fiber! This mean’s there’s only a net of 2 grams of carbs, making it a perfectly keto-freindly supplement.
Another big factor that I enjoy about this powder is that it can be easily blended into any drink, including smoothies, shakes, bulletproof coffee, and milk substitutes. It also mixes in with foods fairly easily, so you can beef up the fiber content of any baked goods, puddings, or fat bombs!
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Flaxseed is a another great way to get a lot of fiber, while keeping carb counts fairly low. Bob’s Red Mill Organic Flaxseed Meal is one of the best flaxseed products available because of its low price, rich nutritional value, and keto-friendly nutrient breakdown.
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Flaxseed Meal is one of my favorite choices because it’s high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which are very important when it comes to regulating blood sugar and digestion, and are the main type of fat you should be striving to get more of while following a keto diet.
While it does have some carbs, it is low in net carbs with less than 3 grams of net carbs per serving, making it perfectly keto friendly.
This flaxseed meal is also extremely versatile. It can be used to replace flour as a thickening agent, and can be combined to most types of foods like eggs, yogurt, smoothies, and salads. For the best consistency, you should be sure to finely grind it up before adding it to other foods though
While not a supplement itself, it makes for a great replacement for non-keto flowers like all purpose flour, tapioca flour, bran, and grain.
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These bars may not also be marketed as ‘supplements’ exactly, but they’re still great ways to pack a ton of fiber into your day without risking consuming too may carbs – and they taste great too!
Dr. Kellyanne’s Keto Collagen Bars are made with minimal ingredients, are keto-friendly, and have the perfect balance of carbs from fiber, protein, and healthy fats designed to give you lasting amounts of energy for the entire day.
Some of the big benefits on getting fiber with collagen include reduced hunger pangs, as well as better digestion regulation, and fluid balance to help keep you hydrated.
These bars are dairy free, soy free, and gluten free, with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. It’s based in coconut, and dark chocolate that is sweetened naturally with Stevia.
At only 2 grams of net carbs per bar, these act as a great snack between meals.
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NOW Keto products are some of my favorites for both getting the fiber I need, as well as acting as a pre-workout and method to get other vital nutrients.
NOW Keto’s Collagen + MCT + Fiber is packed full of benefits. The included MCT oil has been proven to help boost ketone production in the blood, and the collagen and fiber works great at blood sugar regulation and offers a ton of digestive help.
As a powder, you can mix it into most foods and drinks, and it comes in two delicious but still sugar-free flavors, strawberry or vanilla.
It comes with under 1 total grams of net carbs, while still being a great source of soluble fiber. Furthermore, it only has 50 calories per a single serving scoop, so you won’t feel all full and bloated like you might from using a lot of other types of supplement powders.
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Final Thoughts
As you can see, there’s a lot of ways to get the right amount of fiber into your diet either through food or through supplements. Dietary fiber has a lot of great benefits for both standard health and especially for the keto diet, so I put it at a pretty high priority out of all of the supplements that I use on a daily or weekly basis.
As long as you are sure to check out the nutrition facts on any food and supplements that you use to get your fiber and stay away from options high in sugar, you’ll be able to get the most out of fiber on the keto diet.
