The role of fiber in gut health and chronic diseases: a comprehensive review

Abstract

The gut microbiota is vital for human health but contributes to various conditions ranging from inflammation to obesity if there is dysbiosis. Diets lacking in fiber contribute to gut health issues. Fiber acts as a prebiotic by feeding gut bacteria while encouraging microbial diversity. Decreased barrier functioning, resulting from low levels of fiber, has been linked to various gastrointestinal disorders. Through butyrate production, diets rich in fiber reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This review focuses on the role of dietary fiber in gut health and chronic diseases linked to the gut. Further, customized nutrition plans are followed as a way to upsurge fiber uptake to the extent based on lifestyle, genetics, and the composition of each person’s gut microbiome. Increasing fiber intake rendering to one’s requirements enhanced the benefits of improving gut health, reducing inflammation, and the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.