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Fiber Based Foods

Jun 14, 2011 | By Martin Zabell
Fiber Based Foods
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Fiber is in "all" plant-based foods and isn't in animal-based foods, according to "The New Pritikin Program." Fiber often comes from the material that helps plants stay upright and is also often in plants' leaves and skin. It cannot be digested. Eating fiber-rich beans, cereal, fruits, pasta, rice and vegetables can reduce your risk of numerous diseases.

History

Americans aren't eating enough fiber. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's "FoodReview" magazine reported in 1996 that Americans' average daily fiber intake was half the National Cancer Institute's recommendation of 20 to 30g daily. This lack of fiber causes several diseases that take a long time to develop and are much more uncommon in nations where the people eat more fiber. The diseases include cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity, according to "Pritikin Program" author Robert Pritikin, who estimated that Americans were eating 10 to 15g of fiber daily in 2007.

Recommendations

The USDA's food pyramids have been based partly on the U.S. government's recommendation that Americans should eat more fiber-based foods. The 1996 report, for example, stated that Americans were eating half as much fruit as they should and vegetable consumption was as high as 80 percent of USDA's recommendations only because of high-fat vegetable products such as french fries. The pyramid recommends eating six to 11 servings of grains, three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruits daily.

Statistics

The USDA allows companies to label food "high-fiber" if it has at least 5g of fiber per serving. Roughly 90 of the approximately 750 foods listed in the USDA's "Fiber Content" chart are high-fiber foods. Most of the approximately 35 foods with at least 10g of fiber per serving are beans, although barley, with 31.2g of fiber, and bulgur, with 25.6, are first and second. Foods with at least 2.5g of fiber per serving can be labeled a good source of fiber.

Benefits

Different fiber-based foods have different benefits. That's because some foods have more soluble fiber, which dissolves in water, while other foods have more insoluble fiber, which doesn't. Foods with a lot of soluble fiber lower blood cholesterol. Foods with a lot of insoluble fiber prevent constipation and diverticulitis, a painful inflammation of the bowel, according to "An Invitation to Health." Foods with at least 2g of both fibers include oat bran, figs, kidney beans, pinto beans and black-eyed peas, according to "The New Pritikin Program."

Weight

Diet book authors can be divided into two camps -- authors who believe that low-fat foods help you lose weight and authors who believe that low-carbohydrate foods help you lose weight. Fiber's importance is the primary thing they agree about, although it is a carbohydrate. The late Dr. Robert Atkins, the creator of the low-carb Atkins Diet, wrote that fiber reduces the blood-sugar hikes that cause body fat and makes you feel full so you have fewer cravings to eat more.

References

Article reviewed by Lynda Moultry Belcher Last updated on: Jun 14, 2011

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