Did you know your gut and blood sugar have a secret ally?
That’s right—fiber is like the nerdy kid in school who turns out to be a successful IT entrepreneur, employing thousands with a product that makes everyone’s life a bit easier.
Here’s the scoop:
❶ Blood Sugar Bouncer: Soluble dietary fibers (SDF) like psyllium, β-glucan, and guar gum create a gel in your gut that slows sugar absorption.
Think of them as the VIP bouncers at the glucose club—they only let sugar in slowly.
No sugar rush here, just smooth, steady vibes.​
❷ Gut’s Compost Crew: Fermentable fibers like inulin and resistant starch feed your gut bacteria, turning them into sugar-regulating, short-chain fatty acid-producing machines.
Bonus:Â they also make your gut happy and reduce inflammation. Who knew bacteria could be this helpful (and gassy)?
In addition, they turn into short-chain fatty acids that also help with better blood sugar regulation while feeding your gut microbes, as well!​
❸ Ileal Brake = Gut Wizardry: When fiber sends food further down the digestive track, your gut releases hormones (GLP-1 and PYY) that slow digestion, curb appetite, and tell your liver to chill with the sugar-making.
GLP-1:Â a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar, appetite, & digestion.
Peptide YY (PYY): a gut hormone produced in the intestines that acts as a “satiety signal,” meaning it lets your brain know that you are full & helps to decrease appetite after eating meals.
Takeaway? Fiber’s the multitasking genius of the food world: it keeps your gut health happy (with good bacteria) and prevents the likelihood of your blood sugars spiking after a meal.
It does this by slowing down carb digestion as most of these fibers turn gelatinous or “goo-ee” along your digestive track.
This is why it’s encouraged to eat as many fibers as you comfortably can before consuming any carbs.
The catch for those with type 1 diabetes who are conscious about their diet, is that even when eating more whole-foods-dense meals, if one is intentional on limiting their carb intake, they will likely be missing out on a lot of fiber, as well.
I go into more detail on this topic in my fiber post, if you wish to learn more of fiber supplement options with the guidance of your endocrinologist.
Alrighty!
Done within a minute, as promised!
I’ll see you next week!