Dietary fiber refers to a group of plant materials that your body is not able to digest or absorb. When you eat regular servings of fiber as part of a balanced diet low in saturated fats, cholesterol and trans fats, you lower your risk of developing heart disease, states the American Heart Association, or AHA.
Identification
Dietary fiber is also known as roughage or bulk, since it passes through your stomach and intestines without being broken down or absorbed like fats, proteins, carbohydrates and other nutrients are. The fiber you eat can be classified as soluble or insoluble. The soluble fiber in foods like oats, beans, peas, apples, oranges, barley and carrots combines with water to create a gel-like material in your stools. Insoluble fiber comes from foods, such as whole grains, whole wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, rye, rice, cabbage, beets and turnips. When you ingest insoluble fiber, it combines with other unprocessed food to increase the volume of your stools.
Recommended Intake
Your recommended daily fiber intake will vary depending on your age, sex and caloric requirements. If you need 2,000 calories a day to maintain a healthy body weight, for example, the American Heart Association says you can eat 6 to 8 one oz. servings of grains and 8 to 10 half-cup servings of fruits and vegetables a day. At least half of your grain servings should be from whole-grain products.
Benefits
Soluble fiber may lower LDL, or bad, cholesterol levels, and also reduce total cholesterol, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can also lower your blood pressure and reduce blood vessel inflammation to protect your heart. Insoluble fiber lowers your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, which is an independent risk factor for heart disease. If you already have diabetes, soluble fiber slows the absorption of sugar from your gut, helping you achieve better blood glucose control and reducing your cardiovascular risk.
Misconceptions
When you're browsing the aisles of your local supermarket, you may assume that brown bread contains more fiber than white loaves However, the brown color can come from other ingredients like molasses. Scan the nutrition facts label for the words "whole grain" and choose products that list a whole grain as their first ingredient. Heart-healthy choices feature plenty of whole wheat, oatmeal, whole oats, wild rice, whole grain corn, whole grain barley, brown rice, wheat bulgur or whole rye, says the AHA.
Tips
The AHA's Heart-Check Mark program sets healthy standards for both whole grain and whole oats soluble fiber foods. Look for the Heart-Check Mark logo, a heart with a check mark superimposed, to find heart-healthy fiber products.
