Brain health is an aspect of health that many strive to maintain and improve. Better brain health could help to improve productivity, reduce stress, improve concentration, and reduce the effects of aging. You can do this in many ways, with supplementation being one of these ways. But while many well-known supplements can help improve brain health, one supplement may be overlooked when improving brain health. A fiber supplement doesn't only help to improve gut health. This supplement may help to improve your brain health as well. Let's take a closer look at how.
Including fiber in your diet is part of most healthy eating recommendations. However, many do not know what fiber is.
Fiber refers to carbohydrates that cannot be digested. There are two different types, these are:
Both forms of fiber are necessary. Soluble fiber helps bulk up stool, whereas insoluble fiber improves the speed of food movement through the intestines and reduces constipation.
The recommendations for fiber differ for gender and age. However, for adults, these recommendations are (2):
Unfortunately, it is estimated that Americans are only consuming half of their fiber recommendations (2). This could be due to poor nutrition, a high intake of refined carbohydrates, and a low intake of fruits and vegetables.
There are multiple different symptoms that you may experience with a low-fiber diet. These include:
Additionally, low fiber can increase the risk of certain health conditions, including:
Fiber supplements typically use either one or a combination of fibers that can be natural or synthetic. They are available in powder, capsules, gummies, and even biscuits. The most common types of fiber in a fiber supplement are:
Multiple mechanisms are at play when discussing the link between fiber and brain health. One of these mechanisms is the gut-brain axis. This axis, in simple terms, helps your gut and brain communicate. The health of the gut will directly influence the brain and vice versa. The gut microbiome is an ecosystem of bacteria within your gut. Ideally, the ratio of beneficial bacteria should be higher than harmful bacteria. However, with stress, illness, poor nutrition, a lack of exercise, and medications such as antibiotics, the population of beneficial bacteria can be reduced. When this happens, it can directly affect the brain and contribute to feelings of anxiety, depression, and brain fog.
Fiber can help improve the beneficial bacteria within your gut as it acts as food for the bacteria. As the fiber ferments in your gut, it produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These fatty acids can help to modulate the levels of brain hormones and neurotrophic factors, thus directly impacting the growth of brain cells. This may influence cognitive processes such as learning and memory. Additionally, SCFAs may help to reduce the production of cortisol in response to stress, thus helping your body cope with stress. Additionally, the beneficial bacteria can directly influence the production of brain hormones (3).
A recent study demonstrated the effect of fiber on cognition. This study gave a fiber supplement using inulin and FOS to a group of 60-year-old patients. After 12 weeks, the populations of bacteria in their gut microbiomes, muscle strength, and cognitive performance were tested.
Researchers noted that after 12 weeks, there was an increase in beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium. While there was no change in muscle strength, there were improvements in brain function tests. These tests included the Paired Associate Learning Test, which is an early marker for Alzheimer's disease. These improvements demonstrated the effects of these fibers in improving the gut microbiome and their effect on cognitive performance (1). While this is promising, additional research is necessary.
While anyone would benefit from taking a fiber supplement, some groups of individuals may benefit from it for its potential effects on brain health. These individuals include older individuals and individuals who are at risk for developing brain conditions such as dementia and Alzheimers. Additionally, another group that may benefit is individuals who are experiencing long-term stress.
During stress, your adrenal glands produce cortisol, one of the main stress hormones. In addition, within your body, there is the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response System. This system consists of six different circuits of related organs that help to support your body during stress. When stress becomes chronic, your adrenal glands become depleted of cortisol, and imbalances within the NEM system start to occur. This is known as Adrenal Fatigue.
This is a condition in which the body is unable to keep up with long-term stress, resulting in various nonspecific symptoms such as tiredness, sleep disturbances, anxiousness, and weight gain. This can lead to imbalances within the NEM system. One circuit that can be affected is the Neuroaffect circuit, which consists of the brain, autonomic nervous system, and gut microbiome.
An imbalance within this circuit can cause a range of different symptoms, including feelings of anxiousness, depression, changes in sleep, and an intolerance to stress. A fiber supplement may help improve the health of your gut microbiome and relieve symptoms such as anxiousness and depression.
If you have a history of intestinal blockages or have a condition such as Crohn's disease, you may need to have a low-fiber diet rather than a fiber supplement. Additionally, a fiber supplement may interfere with medications. If you are on any long-term medications, chat with your healthcare provider first.
Whilst fiber is one way to improve your brain health, a range of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and compounds can help. These include:
Omega-3Some of these nutrients can be found in food sources in varying amounts. Supplementation is one way to receive them. This can help increase the amount and consistency of your intake. Additionally, for some of these nutrients, such as ginkgo biloba, supplementation is the only source.
Brain Trust by Dr. Lam is one supplement that uses a combination of ingredients designed to boost your brain health. These ingredients include choline, ginkgo biloba, and phosphatidyl serine. However, they also include:
These ingredients work in various ways, including reducing inflammation, increasing the production of brain hormones responsible for memory, and helping to enhance the gut-brain axis. This supplement is available in capsule form, and the recommended dose is one to two daily.
Fiber is an essential part of healthy eating and plays an important role in helping to enhance the gut-brain axis and improve brain function. A fiber supplement is one way to increase your fiber content consistently and shows promise in helping to improve brain function. Many different types of fiber can be used in a fiber supplement. Some supplements include multiple types of fiber.
If you want to improve your brain health with a supplement but aren't sure whether a fiber supplement or another supplement would suit you best, the Dr. Lam team can assist. For a free initial call, call us directly at +1 (626) 571-1234.
Support Your Brain Health
Lochlainn, Mary Ni, et al. "Effect of Gut Microbiome Modulation on Muscle Function and Cognition: The PROMOTe Randomised Controlled Trial." Nature Communications, vol. 15, no. 1, Feb. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46116-y.
Akbar, Aelia, and Aparna P. Shreenath. "High Fiber Diet." StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf, 1 May 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559033.
Berding, Kirsten, et al. "Going With the Grain: Fiber, Cognition, and the Microbiota-gut-brain-axis." Experimental Biology and Medicine, vol. 246, no. 7, Feb. 2021, pp. 796–811, https://doi.org/10.1177/1535370221995785.
"Choline and the Brain." StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209327/.
It depends on the form of supplement. If its in the form of a powder it may need to be mixed with water. Regardless of the form of fiber supplement, it is important to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day when taking the supplement.
