Fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet and may help lower your blood cholesterol levels, reducing your risk for heart disease. Eating a high-fiber diet can help with your weight loss program and help maintain bowel health. Fiber is divided into two basic categories, soluble and insoluble, and both are important in your diet. Eating a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains will ensure you get the daily requirements for soluble and insoluble fiber.
Recommended Daily Requirements
Both soluble and insoluble fiber provide important health benefits. Unless you have a specific health concern, you do not have to worry about getting a certain ratio of soluble to insoluble fiber daily. Both adults and children should get at least 20 g of fiber daily, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Women should get 21 to 25 g of a combination of soluble and insoluble fiber, and men ideally should consume 30 to 38 g of fiber daily and growing teenagers should aim for 30 to 35 g daily of fiber.
Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber dissolves in water and turns into a gel during digestion. This slows down digestion, helping you keep that full feeling longer. If you are looking for a slow-digesting fiber to aid in weight loss, eating more soluble than insoluble fiber will help keep you feeling satisfied between meals. Soluble fiber lowers your blood glucose levels and can help lower your blood cholesterol levels. If you are looking for an immunity booster, eating soluble fiber can increase the production of interleukin-4, an anti-inflammatory protein, according to the March 2010 issue of “Science Daily.” These cells are responsible for healing and help you recover faster from infections. Soluble fiber sources include oats, nuts, apples, peas, beans, carrots and citrus fruits.
Insoluble Fiber
Insoluble fiber does not dissolve and moves through your body faster than soluble fiber. It adds bulk to your stools, helping to reduce constipation and irregular bowel movements. Because insoluble fiber helps keep stools softer and move through the digestive tract faster, it helps treat hemorrhoids, constipation and diverticulosis, an intestinal disorder of small pouches in the lining of your colon causing inflammation. Insoluble fiber is found in whole grains, vegetables and nuts.
Fiber Supplements
Getting the daily recommended requirement of soluble and insoluble fiber may be difficult for you to fit into your day. If so, soluble and insoluble fiber supplements are a good way to add extra fiber into your diet. Fiber supplements may interact with certain medications by decreasing the amount absorbed into your body. Be sure to talk with your doctor or health care provider before adding fiber supplements to your diet.
References
- Mayo Clinic; Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet; November 2009
- Harvard School of Public Health; Fiber: Start Roughing It!
- "Science Daily" An Apple a Day? Study Shows Soluble Fiber Boosts Immune System; March 2010
- Mayo Clinic; High-Fiber Foods; November 2009
- Mayo Clinic; Fiber Supplements: Are They Safe to Take Every Day?; M.F. Picco, M.D.; August 2011
- National Institutes of Health; Fiber; July 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Soluble vs. Insoluble Fiber - Overview; August 2008
- Colorado State University; Dietary Fiber; J. Anderson; December 2010
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