The Different Types of Dietary Fiber

There's a Metamucil® Product for Every Patient

There's a Metamucil® Product for Every Patient

The properties of the two main types of dietary fiber—insoluble fiber and soluble fiber—differ substantially and have different physiologic effects in the body.

  • Insoluble fiber (e.g., wheat bran):

  • Does NOT dissolve in water
  • Traps cholesterol and sugars poorly
  • Does not easily ferment
  • Moves through the digestive system quickly
  • Helps bulk up stool

  • Soluble fiber:

  • Dissolves in water
  • There are two types of soluble fiber: completely     soluble fiber and viscous soluble fiber.
  • Viscous soluble fiber is unique in that it forms a     gel that traps and helps gently remove waste and     some cholesterol.
  • Viscous soluble fiber can trap carbohydrates and
        slow down absorption of sugars.
  • Metamucil

Viscous soluble fibers, like psyllium husk, form a gel that traps some cholesterol and waste, helping them pass through the
body efficiently, while clear-mixing fibers, like wheat dextrin, do not form a gel to remove waste and cholesterol.

Most fibers are exclusively insoluble or soluble but, not a mixture of both types.
Psyllium husk is unique because it is rich in viscous soluble fiber (70% to 80%) and also contains insoluble fiber (20% - 30%).

In recent articles published in the Journal of Medicine and in Nutrition Reviews, Dr. James W. Anderson, Professor
Emeritus of Medicine and Clinical Nutrition at the University of Kentucky, Lexington,3 states that regular consumption of psyllium
fiber may provide a number of health benefits, such as:

  • Lowering cholesterol
  • Promoting regularity

In contrast, wheat dextrin does not form a gel to trap and remove waste and some cholesterol.