Fiber significantly impacts your stomach and the broader digestive tract by influencing how quickly and how nutrients are processed.
Specifically, according to information from Mount Sinai, soluble fiber plays a key role. It has a unique ability to pull in water as it moves through your digestive system, including the stomach and intestines.
The Role of Soluble Fiber
When soluble fiber combines with water, it transforms into a gel-like substance. This gel does not get absorbed like other nutrients but instead creates a viscous mixture.
Impact on Digestion
The formation of this gel has a direct effect on your stomach and upper digestive tract:
- Slows Digestion: The presence of the gel significantly slows down the speed at which food passes through the stomach and into the intestines. This means your stomach empties more gradually.
- Reduces Nutrient Absorption: Because digestion is slowed, the stomach and intestines have less time or capacity to absorb some nutrients. The Mount Sinai reference highlights that this reduced absorption specifically affects starch and sugar.
This delayed digestion and reduced nutrient absorption contribute to feelings of fullness and can impact overall metabolic processes, potentially leading to benefits like lower cholesterol over time, which the reference notes may help prevent heart disease and stroke.
In summary, fiber, particularly the soluble type, affects your stomach primarily by forming a gel that slows down the digestive process and limits the absorption of certain nutrients like starches and sugars.
