Wanna keep asthma, diabetes and arthritis at a distance? A new study shows that fiber can keep you asthma-, diabetes-, and arthritis-free.

According to scientists of Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research, fiber boosts the immune system, making your body more capable of fighting off inflamatory diseases.

Foods such as dried fruit and beans are rich in fiber. When they reach your gut, bacteria convert the fiber into compounds known as short chain fatty acids. These acids are believed to alleviate some inflammatory disease in the bowel.

The research team was able to demonstrate that a molecule used by immune cells and previously shown to bind short chain fatty acids also functioned as an anti-inflammatory.

Professor Charles Mackay told AFP, “The important point about our work is that we provide the molecular explanation that links fiber in the diet to the micro-organisms in our gut to the affect on the immune response.”