Probiotics are beneficial bacteria found in dietary supplements and some foods. Fiber and probiotics can work together to support a healthy, balanced gut microbiome, which is critical for digestive and overall health.

If you suffer from common digestive issues like constipation, gas and bloating, or diarrhea, you may have heard the advice to increase your fiber intake. Consuming adequate dietary fiber can improve your digestion and help with common gastrointestinal ailments.

You may have also heard of using probiotics, live good bacteria, to improve gut health. But what about taking probiotics and fiber together? Certain types of fiber can work in tandem with probiotics to benefit digestive health, and this combination can be a key element of a probiotic and fiber diet.

How Fiber and Probiotics Support One Another

Eating more fiber has been linked to improved digestive and overall health. High-fiber diets can prevent or relieve constipation and also reduce the risk of several chronic diseases. Unfortunately, many of our diets are too low in fiber due to a lack of whole plant foods and an over-reliance on animal products and highly processed foods.

Estimates indicate that 95% of Americans don’t meet the recommended dietary fiber intake of 19-38 grams daily. Western-style diets, including the typical U.S. diet, are also associated with lower diversity of beneficial gut microbes compared to diets higher in fiber from plant foods.

Dietary fiber is typically categorized into soluble and insoluble forms. Both are important for digestive health. Soluble fiber can dissolve in water to form a gel and helps to soften the stool. It also slows nutrient absorption and increases satiety. Insoluble fiber provides bulk for easier passage of stool. Most foods provide a mix of fiber types.

Common types of fiber include:

• Insoluble sources: Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, found mainly in vegetables and whole grains.
  
  
• Soluble sources: Pectin, gums, and mucilages; pectins are found primarily in fruits and vegetables, whereas gums and mucilages are mainly extracted from plants for use in processed foods.

Prebiotics are specific types of soluble fiber that pass undigested through the upper gastrointestinal tract and go on to provide nourishment for the beneficial bacteria in the colon. They can work together with probiotics, a direct source of live beneficial bacteria. Prebiotics act as the food source for our gut bacteria, whereas probiotic supplements deliver live, beneficial bacteria to the gut to support balanced and diverse gut flora.

What are the Benefits of Combining Fiber with Probiotics?

Both probiotics and dietary fiber can be beneficial for digestive health. But what happens when you combine them?

The Role of Probiotics

Probiotics offer many benefits for digestive health, including enhanced digestion, protection against bad bacteria, and a reduction in digestive symptoms like diarrhea and constipation.

Although some foods, such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha, are cultured with or have added probiotics, not all probiotic foods have enough live bacteria to survive the digestive system to provide health benefits. They may also not have the right combination of strains to have a lasting impact on your gut health.

On the other hand, probiotic supplements typically provide information on the CFU (colony-forming units) per gram of live active microorganisms, which ideally will be 107 to 1011.

Finding a product with multiple strains of beneficial bacteria may be preferable since much of the research on common digestive issues, such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, has used multi-strain products.