Back in the 1800s, the American diet was rich in dietary fiber derived from fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products. When processed foods were introduced in the early 1900s, fiber intake began dropping. In the 21st century, the average American derives only 14 g of fiber a day from foods, despite recommended fiber intake levels that range from 21 to 38 g a day for adults. Adding fiber to your diet will promote your overall health and affect a number of body systems.
How to Add Fiber
You can add fiber to your diet by increasing your intake of foods that contain soluble fiber, as well as those rich in insoluble fiber. Whole-grain cereals, pastas, breads and other baked goods are great sources of insoluble fiber, as are cruciferous vegetables, including cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Other good choices include dark green leafy vegetables, carrots, zucchini, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers, brown rice, bulgur, barley and couscous. Soluble fiber comes from oats, legumes, apples, citrus fruits, barley, psyllium, flaxseeds, blueberries and strawberries. You can find the fiber content of specific foods in consumer-friendly databases, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database.
Cardiovascular Health
Soluble fiber combines with bile acids from your liver to create a gel that's passed out of your body when you have a bowel movement. Your liver pulls more cholesterol from your blood to create new bile acids, lowering both LDL, or "bad cholesterol," and total cholesterol. When your cholesterol profile improves, you reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, narrowing of the arteries, heart failure, heart attack and stroke.
Weight and Blood Sugar Management
When you eat a high-fiber meal or snack, you feel full quicker and retain that feeling of fullness longer. High-fiber foods are typically rich in nutrients but low in calories. The combination of these two effects helps you curb your calorie intake and sustain a healthy body weight. Soluble fiber slows down the rate of food absorption from your intestines and produces a steady blood sugar level for people with diabetes. If you don't have diabetes, insoluble fiber reduces your risk of developing this chronic disease.
Bowel Function
Insoluble fiber combines with water and waste products from food to create softer, larger stools that pass easily through your digestive tract. Since you don't need to strain to pass these stools, you're less likely to develop chronic gastrointestinal disorders, including diverticulosis, diverticulitis and hemorrhoids.
References
- Cleveland Clinic; Fitting Fiber In
- Institute of Medicine; "Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein and Amino Acids"; September 5, 2002
- Harvard School of Public Health; Fiber: Start Roughing It!
- U.S. Department of Agriculture; National Nutrient Database
- MayoClinic.com; Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet; Nov. 19, 2009
- American Institute for Cancer Research; The Facts About Fiber; 2006
Member Comments