Teff & Fiber

Dietary fiber is the collection of non-digestible carbohydrates and lignin that resist digestion in the small intestine and are partially or fully consumes by beneficial gut microbes in the large intestine:

• Insoluble fiber (e.g., cellulose, many arabinoxylans) adds bulk and speeds transit.
• Soluble/viscous fiber (e.g., β-glucans, pectins) forms gels that lower LDL-cholesterol and blunt post-meal glycemic spikes.
• Resistant starch (RS) is starch that “resists” digestion. Types include:
  RS1 (physically inaccessible in intact grains/legumes), RS2 (native granules like high-amylose maize), RS3 (retrograded starch formed after cooking then cooling), RS4 (chemically modified), and RS5 (amylose-lipid complexes). Resistant starch reaches the large intestine and is digested by gut microbes to short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate. Many of these products have beneficial effects on health.

Harnessing the power of resistant starch: a narrative review of its health impact and processing challenges – PMC

Dietary fiber has numerous well-documented benefits for many systems in the body. We’ll just briefly discuss the benefits to various body systems here. Higher total fiber intakes (≈14 g per 1,000 kcal; ~25 g/day women, ~38 g/day men) are linked with lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.

Adequate consumption of dietary fiber has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. These diseases include coronary heart disease, where the coronary arteries of the heart become blocked. Additionally, fiber has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke. Fiber probably helps to achieve these effect by improving some of the basic cardiovascular risk factors. Fiber consumption helps to reduce blood pressure, as well as improve cholesterol levels. Both high blook pressure and high cholesterol are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Dietary fiber is known to both improve blood sugar control, as well as insulin sensitivity, making fiber consumption an important component of controlling and preventing diabetes. Additionally, fiber helps to reduce obesity by improving satiery, meaning you feel fuller, faster, after eating.

Fiber is known to improve or prevent numerous gastrointestinal diseases, including esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, peptic ulcer disease, gallbladder disease, diverticular disease, gastroesophageal reflux, among others.

The gastrointestinal tract is the largest immune organ in the human body. Proper functioning of the immune system is dependent on the consumption of prebiotics such as fiber that promote the growth of beneficial intestinal microbes and the production by those microbes of short-chain fatty acids that stimulate the immune system.

• Uncooked whole teff grain: ~8.0 g fiber per 100 g; about 15.4 g per cup (193 g). Nutrition Facts for Teff, uncooked
• Cooked teff: ~7.1 g fiber per cup (252 g)—that’s ~2.8 g per 100 g cooked (water dilutes density). Nutrition Facts for Cooked Teff
• Teff flour is typically milled as a whole-grain flour (the kernel is tiny, so it’s commonly ground whole), which preserves bran-and-germ fiber. Reviews report total dietary fiber around ~8 g/100 g for teff grain/flour, consistent with USDA-based databases.

Cereal grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats, sorghum, millet, teff) are dominated by arabinoxylan-rich cell wall fibers and other insoluble fractions; the β-glucan-rich profile (the most “viscous” cholesterol-lowering fiber) is characteristic of oats and barley, not teff. In other words, teff’s strength is total fiber (largely insoluble) and whole-grain delivery, while oats/barley are stand-outs for β-glucan.

Resistant starch (RS) in teff foods—what do studies show?

• General RS science: Cooking starchy foods and then cooling them increases RS3 via starch retrogradation; some (not all) RS persists on reheating. This pattern is well documented across staples like rice, pasta, and breads.
• Teff sourdough/gluten-free breads: Outcomes vary by formulation and fermentation. In one controlled study, sourdough fermentation decreased RS in gluten-free breads made with teff and other flours compared with non-sourdough controls. Another experiment (different formulation/storage) reported RS increasing with storage time in teff-containing bread. The direction can flip with flour blends, starter strains, and storage regimen.
• Injera and porridge processing: Processing can raise rapidly digestible starch and estimated GI in some lab models, but human testing of teff injera shows a low mean glycemic index (~36)—substantially lower than corn injera and even lower than white wheat bread in that study. Note GI is influenced by fermentation, particle size, blends, and serving context.

1. Keep it whole-grain. Teff flour is typically whole; use 100% teff or high-teff blends in porridge, breads, and pancakes to keep fiber intact.
2. Leverage RS3 with time + temperature.
   • Cook teff (as porridge or pilaf), cool 12–24 h in the fridge, then serve chilled (grain salad) or gently reheat. RS3 forms on cooling and often partly survives reheating.

1. Store baked goods. For teff breads/tortillas/flatbreads, bake then store (overnight) before eating to favor starch retrogradation.

For context:

• Cooked lentils: ~15.6 g/cup
• Cooked black beans: ~15 g/cup (≈7 g per ½ cup canned)
• Raspberries: 8–10 g/cup
• Chia seeds: ~4.7–5 g per Tbsp (≈10 g/oz)

• Teff is a high-fiber whole grain: ~7 g per cooked cup; ~8 g per 100 g dry. Within grains, it’s among the best for total fiber per typical serving.
• Fiber type: Teff’s fiber is mostly insoluble (like many cereals), whereas oats/barley offer unique β-glucans for LDL lowering—use them complementarily.
• Resistant starch: You can boost RS in teff-based meals via cook-and-cool strategies and storage; fermentation effects vary by recipe.
• Glycemic profile: Properly prepared teff injera can be low-GI, supporting glucose control as part of a balanced diet.

Health benefits of dietary fiber

Frontiers | Effect of cooking and storage temperature on resistant starch in commonly consumed Indian wheat products and its effect upon blood glucose level

(PDF) The effect of varıous cookıng methods on resıstant starch content of foods

Glycemic Index and Load of Selected Ethiopian Foods: An Experimental Study – Dereje – 2019 – Journal of Diabetes Research – Wiley Online Library