While fiber can be helpful in certain situations, it is not a necessary nutrient, especially for those following an animal-based diet. In fact, fiber is not even a true nutrient that the body requires to function. There are many half-truths surrounding fiber and its supposed benefits, particularly in promoting digestion and overall health. While it plays a role in carbohydrate-heavy diets, the human body can thrive without it. On an animal-based diet, where the focus is on nutrient-dense meats, fats, and animal products, the body adapts to digest and absorb all the necessary nutrients without the need for fiber. Let’s dive into why fiber isn’t essential when you embrace an animal-based lifestyle.
For someone following the carnivore diet or No Plant GAPS diet, which eliminates plant-based foods (and therefore fiber), here’s a breakdown of how each fiber “benefit” can be reconsidered or disproven in the context of a strictly animal-based, zero-carb diet:
Digestive Health:
• Half-truth – Fiber Promotes Regular Bowel Movements:
While fiber can help with constipation by adding bulk to stools, on a carnivore diet/No Plant GAPS diet, the body adjusts to a lack of fiber by producing less stool. The animal-based foods consumed in a carnivore diet are highly digestible, absorbable and there’s often little undigested material left to pass through the intestines, leading to smaller, but typically well-formed, stools.
• Half-truth – Fiber Supports Gut Health and Microbiome:
While fiber is often thought to support gut health by acting as a prebiotic, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride explains that fiber feeds all microbes indiscriminately. This means it nourishes not only the beneficial bacteria but also the opportunistic and pathogenic microbes in the gut. When someone has a leaky gut or an unbalanced microbiome, which often includes an overgrowth of harmful microbes like yeast (candida), parasites, and other pathogens, consuming fiber can inadvertently strengthen these undesirable species. By removing fiber from the diet, especially on an animal-based protocol, the balance of the microbiome can begin to shift in favor of the beneficial microbes. This allows the gut to heal and creates an environment in which the “good guys” can thrive, ultimately promoting a healthier gut and improving overall digestion.
The idea that a diverse microbiome requires fiber is based on the notion that gut bacteria need plant-based foods to thrive. However, on No Plant GAPS, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are still produced, and a healthy microbiome can be maintained with animal fat, protein and fermented dairy and fermented vegetable brines. Animal products like meat stock also promote gut health by healing the gut lining and supporting gut flora.
Some beneficial gut bacteria thrive on fat and protein, and low-carb, animal based diets can actually reduce the abundance of harmful bacteria while promoting more beneficial ones.
Bifidobacterium:
• Bifidobacterium bifidum
• Bifidobacterium longum
• Bifidobacterium animalis
While Bifidobacterium species are traditionally known for fermenting carbohydrates (specifically fibers), some strains can also process fats, particularly through the fermentation of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, which supports gut health.
Firmicutes:
• Clostridium butyricum (produces butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid)
• Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (produces butyrate, associated with anti-inflammatory effects)
• Lachnospiraceae family (a group of bacteria that includes many butyrate-producing species)
• Roseburia intestinalis (a butyrate-producing species)
These Firmicutes are involved in the fermentation of fats and fibers, particularly producing SCFAs like butyrate, which is crucial for maintaining gut health.
Lactobacillus:
• Lactobacillus reuteri
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus
• Lactobacillus plantarum
While Lactobacillus species are more commonly associated with fermenting carbohydrates, some strains, particularly Lactobacillus reuteri, have been found to thrive on fat in specific conditions, especially in the small intestine.
• Half-truth: Fiber is Needed for Butyrate Production
One common claim is that fiber is necessary for the production of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) that is beneficial for gut health. While it’s true that butyrate is a breakdown product of fiber, this claim overlooks other important ways the body produces and utilizes butyrate, especially on a carnivore or No Plant GAPS diet.
Butyrate is a type of SCFA that is produced when fiber is fermented by gut bacteria. It plays a crucial role in maintaining gut health, as it is the primary fuel source for colonocytes (the cells lining the colon). Butyrate helps to maintain the integrity of the gut lining, reduce inflammation, and support the gut’s overall function. It also has beneficial effects on metabolic health, supporting energy production and acting as an anti-inflammatory agent.
While fiber is indeed one source of butyrate, it’s not the only way the body can produce it and it may not always be necessary for optimal butyrate production.
On a low-carb or animal based diet, the body can produce beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), a ketone body, as an alternative source of energy. BHB serves a similar purpose as butyrate, in that it is used by intestinal cells for energy. In fact, BHB is considered a more efficient fuel for the gut lining than butyrate itself.
Additionally, amino acids like glutamine, found abundantly in animal protein, can support gut healing and even stimulate the production of butyrate.
Blood Sugar Regulation:
• Half- truth – Fiber Slows Down Sugar Absorption:
Fiber is often credited with slowing the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, helping to prevent spikes in blood sugar levels. This is particularly beneficial for individuals with diabetes. Metabolic disorders or those at risk. But where does this sugar come from? It comes from processed foods and carbohydrates, both of which are eliminated on the carnivore and No Plant GAPS diets. With no carbohydrates/sugar to absorb on these diets, there’s no need to worry about blood sugar spikes. Animal foods, which provide protein and fat, are metabolized without impacting blood glucose in the same way carbohydrates do. As a result, the body maintains stable blood sugar levels without relying on fiber to slow sugar absorption.
• Half – truth – Fiber Improves Insulin Sensitivity:
Insulin sensitivity can actually improve on a carnivore diet/ No Plant GAPS diet, especially for those with insulin resistance or metabolic issues. The elimination of carbohydrates can reduce insulin spikes and help the body become more efficient at utilizing insulin. A diet focused on protein and fat may actually promote better insulin sensitivity by reducing overall insulin levels and supporting fat metabolism.
Heart Health:
• Half- truth – Fiber Reduces Cholesterol:
Contrary to the belief that fiber is necessary to lower cholesterol, animal fats, especially those from grass-fed meat, can actually support cardiovascular health. Cholesterol itself is not inherently bad; it plays a crucial role in hormone production, cellular repair, and overall well-being. High cholesterol levels are often a result of inflammation in the body, which is typically caused by consuming processed foods, sugars, and carbohydrates. On the No Plant GAPS and carnivore diets, these inflammatory foods are eliminated, allowing inflammation to decrease. As a result, cholesterol can perform its vital functions of healing and repair. Once the body has completed this process, cholesterol levels naturally return to a healthier balance.
• Half – truth – Fiber Supports Healthy Blood Pressure:
While fiber may be thought to support healthy blood pressure, sodium and potassium balance in a carnivore diet have been shown to maintain or even lower blood pressure without the need for fiber. Animal products and mineral salts provide all minerals, and mineral-rich meat stocks help to balance electrolytes. Lots of people on a carnivore diet/No Plant GAPS even report better blood pressure regulation over time.
• Half truth – Fiber Reduces Inflammation:
Removing fiber can help reduce inflammation, especially for individuals with compromised gut lining or conditions like leaky gut. Fiber can be highly irritating to an already inflamed gut, working almost like sandpaper against the gut lining and further aggravating inflammation. This irritation is especially problematic in people with gut issues, as fiber fermentation by gut bacteria can lead to the production of gas, bloating, which can worsen inflammation and discomfort.
Inflammation in the body is often driven by plant-based foods, particularly those rich in lectins, oxalates, and other anti-nutrients, as well as processed foods and carbohydrates high in sugar. By eliminating these foods, especially in a No Plant GAPS diet, individuals commonly experience a reduction in systemic inflammation. This is especially beneficial for those with autoimmune diseases, arthritis, or IBS, as removing inflammatory plant compounds helps decrease gut irritation.
On the other hand, an animal-based diet, which is free from fiber, provides nutrients like collagen, glycine, and glutamine that support the integrity of the gut lining and promote healing. With the removal of fiber, particularly from plant sources, the gut is given a chance to repair without the additional irritation caused by fiber fermentation. This allows inflammation in the digestive tract to decrease, improving gut health and reducing systemic inflammation over time, so the body can focus on restoration rather than dealing with the harmful effects of fiber.
Weight Management:
• Half- truth – Fiber Increases Satiety:
While fiber can help with satiety, protein and fat on a animal based diet are more satiating and keep you feeling fuller for longer. Fat, in particular, has been shown to promote feelings of fullness while reducing cravings.
An animal based diet naturally regulates hunger hormones (like ghrelin), leading to less overall food intake without the need for fiber to create a sense of fullness.
• Half- truth – Fiber Slows Digestion:
The high-fat content of the animal based diet helps to slow digestion, promoting satiety without relying on fiber. While fiber does slow digestion in plant-based diets, fat is a more effective way to slow digestion and keep hunger at bay. This is why many on the animal based diet report more stable energy levels and less frequent meals.
Lower Risk of Certain Diseases:
• Half- truth – Fiber Reduces Risk of Colon Cancer:
While fiber has been linked to a reduced risk of colon cancer, there is emerging evidence suggesting that plant compounds (like lectins, oxalates, and phytates) found in fiber-rich foods may actually increase the risk of cancer in some individuals. The animal based diets eliminate these potentially harmful compounds, and many people on the diet report better gut health and lower cancer risk due to the absence of such irritants.
• Half- truth – Fiber Reduces Risk of Stroke:
The low-carb, high-fat approach of a animal based diet has been linked to improvements in cardiovascular health, which may, in turn, reduce stroke risk. The elimination of fiber doesn’t seem to negatively affect stroke risk, as stable blood sugar levels, lowered inflammation, and improved cholesterol profiles are more significant contributors to stroke prevention.
Improved Detoxification:
• Half – truth – Fiber Binds to Toxins and Waste:
While fiber can bind to waste and toxins, a No Plant GAPS diet promotes detoxification through liver health and kidney function, without the need for fiber to “sweep” toxins from the digestive tract. Animal-based nutrients like glycine support detox processes in the liver. You can read more about how meat stock triggers detox here.
Additionally, it’s important to remember that the gut lining naturally cleanses itself regularly. The body sheds the top layer of the intestinal lining as part of its constant renewal process. This means there is no need for fiber to be involved in this cleansing process, as the body already has a built-in mechanism for maintaining a healthy, self-renewing gut lining.
On a No Plant GAPS diet, the body adapts to thrive without fiber. While fiber has some well-known benefits in some other diets, the body on a No Plant GAPS diet can not only function optimally by utilizing animal-based nutrition that supports digestion, weight management, heart health, and gut health, but actually thrive. Many individuals on a No Plant diet experience improved health markers, reduced inflammation, and better overall well-being without the need for fiber from plant foods.
If you’re ready to safely introduce, navigate, and transition out of the No Plant GAPS diet with confidence, dive into our comprehensive online training and unlock the full potential of your healing journey.
Please note that all information provided is for educational purposes only and not intended as medical advice.