Greger’s 5:1 Fiber Ratio Rule

Check out the daily videos published by Michael Greger, MD of nutritionfacts.org.

Dr. Greger’s entertaining video snippets do an outstanding job of summarizing the vast amount of published nutrition research, delving into what the studies really say (and don’t say) – and saving you a boatload of time by not having to navigate the peer-reviewed published articles in journals yourself.

One intriguing video is called “The Five to One Fiber Rule” – which basically advocates that for every 5 grams of carbohydrate you eat, you should aim to get at least 1 gram of dietary fiber.

Here is an example of food that meets the 5:1 fiber rule – Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted 100% Whole Grain Bread – it has 15g carbohydrate and 3g dietary fiber for a perfect 5:1 ratio:

Now, to be fair, Greger certainly isn’t the first one to advocate a carb:fiber ratio; but as a hardline plant-based diet guru, he gets strict on the quality of your carbs.

This 5:1 ratio rule helps eliminate junky carb foods that start with the first ingredient including the word “whole” and then contain, as Dr. Greger puts it, “corn syrup and a chemistry set”.

Greger is one of those rare doctors who definitely gets it when it comes to fiber, highlighting a number of research studies extolling the benefits of more dietary fiber. These benefits include:

And just how can the medical community help lower chronic disease risk with diet? Another study highlighted in Gerger’s video implores clinicians to, “Enthusiastically and skillfully recommend that patients consume more dietary fibre.”

You do that by eating more whole plant foods:

  • Getting soluble fiber from oats, nuts, seeds, legumes, and most fruits
  • Getting insoluble fiber from whole wheat, wheat bran, brown rice, other whole grains, and most vegetables

If you’re interested in more of Dr. Gerger’s refreshing takes on whole foods and nutrition research, check out his information-rich site at nutritionfacts.org, watch some of the many health and nutrition videos, Dr. Greger’s Medical Nutrition Blog, or his book “How Not to Die“.

Below is the list of books by Michael Greger, MD.