American women eat about five to 20 g of fiber a day, less than the recommended amount for their health. Benefits of fiber include improved digestive functioning, as well as reduced risk for diabetes and heart disease. On the other hand, increasing fiber in the diet may cause unpleasant digestive symptoms, so foods high in fiber should be added slowly.
Types
Fiber categories include soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance that can help to reduce glucose and cholesterol levels in the body, according to MayoClinic.com. Sources of soluble fiber include apples, carrots, beans, peas, oats, citrus fruits and barley. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water, so it helps to prevent or treat constipation by bulking up the stools. Insoluble fiber sources include vegetables, grains and nuts.
Requirements for Women
The National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, an organization that provides evidence-based advice on issues of medicine and health, recommends that women aged 50 or younger consume 25 g of fiber per day, says MayoClinic.com. Women aged 51 or older need 21 g of fiber daily. A pregnant woman needs slightly more, about 28 g per day, and a breastfeeding woman needs 29 g daily, according to the Linus Pauling Institute of Oregon State University.
Adding Fiber
Eating at least two cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables daily and replacing refined foods with whole grain breads and cereals, brown rice and popcorn help to meet women's daily fiber needs, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Women should eat beans--navy, kidney, black and great northern--at least once per week because they provide 6.2 to 9.5 g of fiber per serving. Fruits provide between 3.1 to 4.4 g of fiber per serving. When selecting processed foods, women should look for items that provide at least 5.0 g of fiber per serving according to the nutritional label on the product. Fiber may cause gas, bloating or cramping, so women should increase it slowly, perhaps adding one serving per week over several weeks.
Documented Health Benefits
Dietary fiber provides many health benefits to women. In addition to bulking up the stools and promoting healthy elimination, it may reduce the risk of hemorrhoids and bowel diseases. Soluble fiber helps to protect heart health, reduce blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels. A high-fiber diet helps to control blood glucose levels in diabetics and to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Fiber also benefits women trying to lose weight because fiber takes longer to chew than other foods and helps the individual to feel full faster. Eating a high-fiber diet reduces the risk of developing GERD--gastroesophageal reflux disease--by 20 percent and of developing gallstones by 13 percent, says Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Disputed Health Benefits Claims
Despite earlier claims that women who ate a high-fiber diet were at lower risk for breast cancer, current research studies do not support this claim, according to the Linus Pauling Institute of Oregon State University. Fiber's association with a lower risk of colorectal cancer, a claim made before the 1990s, requires additional research as well because more recent studies have not supported this claim. Problems with earlier breast cancer and colorectal cancer studies may be related to other nutrients in the diet in addition to fiber.
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