You can try to clean out your colon with risky methods such as taking laxatives, following cleansing diets or submitting to colon irrigation treatments. Or you can safely improve your digestive health and obtain additional health benefits by adding fiber to your diet. Adding fiber to your diet may lower your risk of developing numerous chronic diseases. This is why it is important to have adequate amounts of fiber in your diet.
Intake Recommendations
A high-fiber diet includes at least 25 g of daily fiber for women and 38 g for men, according to the American Dietetic Association. You should obtain most or all of your daily fiber through foods rather than supplements. Fiber supplements have undergone too little research and testing to draw any conclusions about their benefits. Examples of fiber-rich foods you may want to include in your diet are brown rice, oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta and breads, lentils, black beans, lima beans, almonds, pecans, broccoli, peas, sweet corn, artichokes, apples, pears, raspberries and bananas.
Weight Loss
According to the American Heart Association, eating a high-fiber diet can help you lose weight. For one, many fiber-rich foods are low in calories. In addition, foods that are high in fiber tend to help you feel fuller, faster and for a longer period of time. Many high-fiber foods are chewy or crunchy and, therefore, take longer to chew than other sorts of foods. When you eat slowly, you give your brain time to register that your stomach is full. Therefore, eating lots of high-fiber foods may help prevent overeating, which is a cause of weight gain and obesity. Furthermore, the feeling of being full tends to last longer when you eat fiber-rich foods. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that is slowly absorbed, unlike simple sugars which are often called "fast-acting" carbohydrates.
Cardiovascular Disease
A diet that is high in fiber may help reduce your risk of developing heart disease. According to MayoClinic.com, fiber may help lower your blood pressure and reduce your low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol levels within a healthy range promotes heart health. Fiber-rich foods that are particularly good choices to help prevent cardiovascular disease include flaxseed, peas, apples, citrus fruits, oats and beans. This is because these foods contain a special kind of fiber, called soluble fiber. Soluble fiber, as opposed to insoluble fiber, can lower your blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
Diabetes
Fiber may help prevent type 2 diabetes. Fiber can help you lose weight and reduce your blood sugar levels. According to MayoClinic.com, consuming fiber, especially insoluble fiber, is associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Examples of foods with insoluble fiber include whole-wheat flour, wheat bran and nuts. If you already have diabetes, a fiber-rich diet may help you better manage your condition. This is because fiber may help slow down your body's absorption rate of sugars, so that your blood sugar is less likely to get too high, too quickly.
References
- American Dietetic Association, Eat Right; Health Implications of Dietary Fiber; 2008
- Mayo Clinic; Nutrition and Healthy Eating -- High-Fiber Foods; 2009
- American Heart Association; Fiber Up, Slim Down; Feb. 9, 2011
- American Diabetes Association: Carbohydrates
- Mayo Clinic; Nutrition and Healthy Eating -- Dietary Fiber: Essential For A Healthy Diet; 2009
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