Fiber is an essential nutrient, and eating a high-fiber diet can benefit your health. When fiber enters and passes through your stomach, it aids your digestive system and regulates your bowel movements, helping to prevent constipation. It can also help you maintain a healthy weight, as well as keep your cholesterol down. Talk to your doctor about increasing your intake of this nutrient before adding more fiber-rich foods to your diet.
Function of Fiber
Fiber, also known as bulk or roughage, includes the parts of plant-based foods that your stomach cannot digest. Because you can't digest it, fiber passes from your stomach and through your digestive system more or less intact. There are two categories of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and can decrease your glucose levels, as well as your cholesterol. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stools and encourages food to pass through your digestive tract, which may benefit you if you suffer from constipation.
Additional Health Benefits
In addition to regulating your bowel movements, fiber also adds bulk to the other foods you eat, making your stomach feel fuller more quickly and for longer. This can better enable you to control your weight by making you feel less hungry. If you follow a high-fiber diet, you may lower your risk for such diseases and conditions as Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and possibly certain cancers, but more research is needed to determine the latter, notes MayoClinic.com. A high-fiber intake can also decrease your chances of developing diverticular disease and hemorrhoids.
Fiber Needs and Sources
The recommended dietary allowance for fiber depends on your age and sex. If you are a man under 50, you should get 38 g a day, and a woman of the same age should get 25 g a day. After 51, your fiber needs decrease to 30 g if you are a man and 21 g if you are a woman. Fruits like berries, peaches, apricots, plums, prunes and rhubarb are good sources of fiber, particularly if you also eat the skin. Good vegetable sources include asparagus, broccoli, corn, squash and potatoes with their skin. Legumes, like navy and kidney beans, as well as whole grains, nuts and seeds, are also good sources of fiber.
Additional Considerations
If you need to increase your fiber intake, do it gradually to avoid upsetting your stomach. Too much fiber too soon can cause symptoms like gas, bloating and cramping. Discuss dietary changes with your doctor before making them, and let her know if you experience any bowel or stomach problems. Additionally, drinking water when you eat high-fiber foods can help your stomach digest it more easily, as well as make the fiber more effective.
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