Medical research has shown that dietary fiber can help you feel fuller faster, which may in turn promote weight loss. Including plenty of fiber rich foods in your diet also helps aid bowel function and helps prevent constipation. A diet low in fats and high in fiber-rich foods may also help lower your cholesterol and decrease your blood pressure, the American Heart Association adds. With all these possible benefits, you may find including fiber in your daily meal plan a good investment.
Fiber
Dietary fiber --- essentially, a carbohydrate your body cannot digest --- comes from the plants you consume. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and legumes all contain fiber, which science often categorizes according to its reaction to water. Soluble fiber partially dissolves in water; insoluble fiber does not. Foods containing soluble fiber include oatmeal, nuts, strawberries, apples and blueberries. Foods with insoluble fiber include brown rice, whole-wheat bread, barley, celery and tomatoes. The type of fiber in the foods you eat often determines the health benefits you reap, the Harvard School of Public Health notes.
Effects on Health
Along with helping you feel fuller and preventing constipation, research shows a high intake of dietary fiber, particularly the type found in cereal grains, may help lower your risk of developing heart disease by as much as 40 percent, the Harvard School of Public Health reports. Its researchers add that a high-fiber diet also appears to help decrease risks of developing type 2 diabetes. Studies have also shown that diets high in insoluble fiber may lower the risk of diverticulitis, a painful inflammation of the intestines that affects up to one-third of Americans over age 45 and two-thirds of those over 85.
How Much Fiber
The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends your diet include enough vegetables, fruits and whole grains to add up to 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day. Fiber content varies with the type of food. One cup of raspberries, for instance, contains 8 grams of fiber, the Mayo Clinic calculates, while one medium banana has 3.1 grams of total fiber. The nutrition labels found on many foods also include grams of fiber per serving.
Considerations
Making a few simple changes in your diet can significantly increase your fiber intake. For instance, eating whole fruits rather than drinking juices, or choosing brown rice, whole-grain breads and pastas over white rice, bread or pasta can increase the fiber in your diet. Snacking on raw vegetables in place of chips or crackers also increases your fiber intake. Meal plans that include legumes rather than meat or use whole grains as the main item also increase your overall fiber intake.
Warning
To avoid bloating or gas, increase the fiber in your diet slowly. If you develop symptoms, try decreasing the amount of fiber you eat for a few days, then add fiber more slowly over several days to weeks, the University of Maryland Medical Center instructs.
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