When it comes to our diet, there’s an ever-changing list of things touted as keys to better health: cutting out carbs, eating like a caveman, or reducing the dosage of so-called superfoods like turmeric. Most fail to live up to this hype, but there is one superfood that bucks this trend.

It’s common knowledge that dietary fiber is good for you, but few of us appreciate how far-reaching its health benefits are. However, given that diets that are especially prevalent in high-income countries are very easy to overlook, it’s worth your time to become informed.

Many of us have experienced firsthand the effects of dietary fiber on our bodies. Sometimes called “nature’s laxative,” a deficiency of this substance can cause constipation. But there’s much more to fiber than just bowel movements. Diets high in this component are associated with reduced risks of many health conditions, including cancers and heart disease. This is because fiber is not just a filler like cardboard, but also food for the microorganisms in our intestines. This means its effects can be felt all over your body; because this microbiome affects the health of our immune system, brain and more through the chemicals it produces.

“Fiber is the part of our diet that we cannot digest. “It comes from most plant cell walls,” he says. Petra Louis At the University of Aberdeen…