The difference between soluble and insoluble fiber is significant. Both kinds play a major role in healthy digestion, but insoluble is the one that is primarily effective at keeping your digestive tract contents moving. Before we delve into a list of food sources, it helps to understand the benefits of each of the types.

Soluble vs insoluble fiber; what are some of the differences between the two?

Benefits of the soluble variety
This kind is called as such because of the way that it behaves in water and in this case, our bodies; it dissolves and becomes a gel-like substance. It's health benefits include lowering cholesterol, boosting the presence of the bowel’s “good” digestive bacteria, and the moderation of blood glucose levels.

Benefits of insoluble
This type is not broken down into a gel substance within the body. Instead, it remains quite solid (undigested) and literally is pushed through the digestive tract in a way that cleanses the colon of impurities that are otherwise left behind by other foods. This keeps the body “regular” and also lowers “Bad” Cholesterol (LDL) levels, and the risk for many different types of cancers. Because of the way it pushes things through the digestive tract, it is healthy because it reduces the amount of time that toxins spend in your body.


Insoluble roughage Foods List: Best Sources

Fruits – Eat the skins off of a variety of fruits and you’ll be getting a plethora of vitamins and a healthy source of roughage.

Vegetables – One of the best sources of this kind of roughage comes from green leafy vegetables (think spinach and kale).

Beans – Aside from the many vitamins found in beans, you’ll also find a healthy dose of this type of fiber. Kidney, black, white and red are among the best sources.

Wheat Bran – The less processed something is, the better chances it will have of making the ideal foods list. The high amount of roughage of wheat bran can help those who are trying to lose weight because it provides a feeling of being full longer due to the way it moves slower through the digestive tract.

Nuts and Seeds – Near superfoods, nuts provide protein, heart healthy fats, and are one of the greatest sources.


This is just a general list, but it’s a good place to start when trying to add more roughage of this type to a diet. As mentioned above, the less processed a food is, the more likely it is to contain healthy fiber.