Recommended Daily Intake Of Fiber For Men

The typical American diet is seriously low in dietary fiber. The average US resident takes in only about 14 g of fiber from food each day, while the minimum daily requirements for adults range between 21 and 38 g a day. If you're an adult male, you can use one of two methods to determine how much fiber you should obtain from your meals and snacks each day.

Consensus Guidelines

In 2002, the Institute of Medicine published a report from the Food and Nutrition Board outlining dietary reference intakes for men and women in the US and Canada. Men should obtain at least 38 g of fiber from the foods they eat each day until age 50. After age 50, men typically consume less food, so the recommended daily intake for fiber decreases to 25 grams.

Fiber Calculators

A number of health care systems and health organizations provide fiber calculators that allow you to plug in specific information about yourself and use recommendations from the American Dietetics Association to determine your recommended daily fiber intake. The University of Maryland Medical System, for example, asks you to enter your age, height, frame size, gender and activity level. A 30-year-old man who is 6 feet 2 inches tall, with a medium frame and moderate physical activity needs 34 g of fiber daily, according to this calculator. A 30-year-old male who is 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a small frame and sedentary lifestyle requires 25 g of dietary fiber per day.

Warning

The University of Maryland cautions that fiber recommendations should be used as general guidelines for menu planning. General guidelines assume you are healthy and within the normal weight range for your age. If you don't fit those criteria, or if you don't include enough calories in your diet, the calculations may not be accurate.

Benefits

A fiber-rich diet promotes normal bowel function, promotes heart health and helps you establish and maintain a healthy weight. Dietary fiber lowers the level of cholesterol and glucose in your blood, reducing your chances of experiencing a heart attack, stroke, heart failure or coronary heart disease.

Sources

Whole-grain breads, cereals, pastas, crackers and other products are fiber-rich foods, as are nuts and seeds. Eat a variety of high-fiber fruits each day, including strawberries, blackberries, apples, pears, bananas and dried fruits. Select a colorful array of vegetables, such as dark leafy greens, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, corn, peas and carrots. Legumes, including lentils, beans and peas, are particularly high in fiber.