Fiber seems to be one of those healthy buzzwords that everyone has latched onto. Most diets discuss it at length and advise accordingly. Most people work under the assumption today that the more fiber they have as a part of their daily intake, the better. While fiber is quite important, when it comes to blood sugar the real issue is the way it’s taken into consideration when tracking and building a healthy diet.

Fiber does not contribute to your calorie intake, and is not actually digested by the body at all, yet on mandatory food labels for all consumable products, fiber is listed under total carbohydrate. If you have diabetes, it’s very important to take note of this, because while most carbohydrates have a negative effect on blood sugar levels, fiber does not.

Since fiber isn’t digested, it doesn’t actually raise your glucose levels. Thinking abstractly, fiber will lead to lower blood glucose levels by not raising the levels at all. This is because most people will include fiber in the amount of total carbohydrates they allow themselves to consume. It’s an inverse way of thinking, but it’s very important to note since people with diabetes might not be making the distinction between fiber and carbohydrates when looking at a food label.

Fiber doesn’t raise your blood glucose level, but all of the other carbohydrates grouped together on the food label almost certainly do. Therefore, if you have diabetes, and you are developing a new diet, fiber intake becomes extremely important to you. Unless you are aware of this key difference you might end up undercutting your blood glucose level expectations when building your dieting program. In fact, including a large amount of soluble fiber in your diet will actually help to stabilize blood sugar levels.

Fiber should be a strong part of any diet, whether you are dealing with blood glucose issues or not. According to the American Diabetes Association, the amount of fiber you should consume increases as you age. Men over the age of 50 should have 30 grams per day, while men younger than 50 should have 38 grams per day. Woman over 50 should have 21 grams per day, and women under 50 should have 25 grams per day.