Fiber After 40: Why It’s Essential for Women in Midlife
- Rebecca Snow, MS, CNS, LDN, RH
- Feb 4
- 3 min read
Everywhere you look, folks are talking about protein and menopause. Protein is all the hype these days.
Don’t get me wrong — protein definitely matters.
But there is another nutrient that is equally important in menopause, and that is FIBER.
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate found in plant foods that remains undigested as it passes through our intestines. We don’t absorb fiber the same way we absorb amino acids from protein or sugar from carbohydrates. Instead, fiber stays largely intact, helping form the stools we pass and supporting multiple systems in the body along the way.
There are three types of fiber — and they are all important.
Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance in the gut. It’s found in foods like oats, beans, lentils, chia seeds, flax, and some fruits.
It supports:
Cholesterol reduction (especially LDL)
Heart health
Insoluble Fiber
Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. Instead, it adds bulk to stool and helps move waste through the digestive tract. It’s found in vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
It supports:
Digestion
Regularity
Prevention of constipation
Prebiotic Fiber
Prebiotic fiber is a type of fermentable fiber that feeds the beneficial bacteria in our gut. It’s found in foods like onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, oats, and slightly green bananas.
It supports:
Immune function
Mood and brain health
It is a little trippy to think that one of the most important nutrients we eat is actually food for the bacteria in our gut. But when those bacteria thrive, we thrive.
How Does Fiber Benefit the Midlife Woman?
Midlife changes everything — metabolism, hormones, appetite, sleep. Fiber quietly supports all of it.
1. Fiber Helps Us Feel Full
Fibrous foods are BIG. They take up space in the stomach and slow digestion. This helps us feel satisfied longer.
When appetite is up and metabolism is down, that fullness matters. It reduces cravings, mindless snacking, and the constant “what else can I eat?” feeling.
2. Fiber Balances Blood Sugar
Fiber slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. This helps prevent spikes and crashes, lowers the risk of insulin resistance, and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, which becomes more common after menopause.
And here’s something many women don’t realize: Big spikes and crashes in blood sugar can trigger hot flashes.
Steady digestion = steadier blood sugar = fewer flare-ups.
3. Fiber Feeds the Microbiome
Fermentable fibers (like beta-glucan in oats and resistant starch in beans) are metabolized by our gut bacteria.
When bacteria ferment fiber, they produce short-chain fatty acids like butyrate.
These compounds:
Reduce inflammation
Support the gut lining
Improve metabolic health
Influence immune function
Healthy gut, healthier midlife.
4. Fiber Supports GLP-1 Production
Fiber slows digestion and enhances the body’s natural production of GLP-1 — a hormone involved in satiety and blood sugar regulation.
In other words, fiber helps your body regulate appetite the way it was designed to.
5. Fiber Helps with Hormone Clearance
Fiber supports estrogen metabolism by helping bind and eliminate excess hormones through the digestive tract.
When taking MHT or HRT, a high-fiber diet can help support proper estrogen clearance and reduce recirculation of estrogen in the body.
6. Fiber Supports Heart Health
After menopause, cardiovascular risk increases.
Soluble fiber helps reduce LDL cholesterol and supports overall heart health — which is critical in midlife and beyond.
7. Fiber Supports Mood
Your gut and brain are tightly linked. In fact, the gut is often called the “second brain.”
Fiber feeds beneficial gut bacteria that help produce mood-supporting compounds, including neurotransmitter precursors. Balanced blood sugar also reduces irritability and energy crashes.
Stable gut + stable blood sugar = more stable mood.
8. Fiber May Improve Sleep
By balancing blood sugar and supporting the gut-brain connection, fiber may help improve both sleep quality and sleep duration. Fewer nighttime blood sugar dips can mean fewer 3 a.m. wakeups.
Check out my other blogS...
References
Baker JM, Al-Nakkash L, Herbst-Kralovetz MM. Estrogen-gut microbiome axis: Physiological and clinical implications. Maturitas. 2017;103:45-53. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.06.025
Bhargava A. Fiber intakes and anthropometric measures are predictors of circulating hormone, triglyceride, and cholesterol concentrations in the women's health trial. J Nutr. 2006;136(8):2249-2254. doi:10.1093/jn/136.8.2249
Lepping K, Adams-Campbell LL, Hicks J, Mills M, Dash C. Dietary fiber intake and metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal African American women with obesity. PLoS One. 2022;17(9):e0273911. Published 2022 Sep 2. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0273911
Erdélyi A, Pálfi E, Tűű L, et al. The Importance of Nutrition in Menopause and Perimenopause-A Review. Nutrients. 2023;16(1):27. Published 2023 Dec 21. doi:10.3390/nu16010027
Parikh M, Maddaford TG, Austria JA, Aliani M, Netticadan T, Pierce GN. Dietary Flaxseed as a Strategy for Improving Human Health. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1171. Published 2019 May 25. doi:10.3390/nu11051171
Comments