While there's universal agreement that dietary fiber is essential for overall health, daily fiber recommendations vary a good deal. Found only in plant cells, the complex carbohydrate known as fiber keeps your heart healthy, helps you manage your hunger and maintain a healthy body weight, promotes normal bowel function, lowers your risk of developing diabetes and plays a role in preventing some kinds of cancer. Review professional recommendations for fiber intake to ensure you get healthy and stay that way.
Age
Fiber recommendations vary significantly depending on your age. The American Heart Association, for example, outlines age-based fiber intake recommendations for children that range from 19 g daily for preschoolers to 38 g a day for adolescent boys. The Institute of Medicine says that women should take in at least 30 g of dietary fiber a day through age 50, and then 21 g daily for the rest of their lives.
Sex
From the age of nine years forward, some professional organizations recommend different fiber intake levels for same-age males and females. Although a 10-year-old girl needs to eat at least 26 g a day of dietary fiber, a 10-year-old boy requires a minimum of 31 g. During the teen years, females need 29 g, while males should eat at least 38 g daily. Compare a woman's 30 g requirement from age 21 through 50 years with the 38 g minimum for men. After age 50, men should ingest 30 g a day of dietary fiber, but the level for women is only 21 g.
Lifestyle
Daily fiber intake calculators, such as the one published on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website, allow individuals to enter specific information about their body characteristics and lifestyle factors, such as activity level. A 33-year-old man who weighs 195 pounds, stands 6 feet 3 inches tall and has a very active lifestyle, for example, should eat at least 38 g of fiber each day.
Special Circumstances
The USDA fiber calculator also accommodates special circumstances, including pregnancy and lactation. A 32-year-old woman who is 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 126 pounds, has a low active lifestyle and is in her third trimester of pregnancy needs to eat 28 g of fiber daily. If the woman weren't pregnant and still had all the other characteristics, her fiber requirement would be 25 g a day instead.
References
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fiber: Start Roughing It!
- American Heart Association: Fiber and Children's Diets
- Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein and Amino Acids
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Interactive DRI for Healthcare Professionals
Member Comments