Fiber in a Healthy Diet
Dietary fiber is best known for relieving or preventing constipation. But fiber can also help you lose weight and lower your risk for diabetes and heart disease.
What is Dietary Fiber?
Dietary fiber is the part of plant foods that can’t be digested or absorbed by your body. Unlike fats, proteins, or carbohydrates that your body breaks down and absorbs, fiber passes through your body relatively intact. The health benefits of fiber vary depending on what type you’re consuming.
Insoluble fiber. This type of fiber does not dissolve in water and helps keep material moving through your digestive system. Insoluble fiber is most commonly associated with treating constipation and also helps prevent colon cancer by balancing pH in the intestines.
- Foods containing insoluble fiber: Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, leafy green vegetables, and fruit skins.
Soluble fiber. This type of fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel-like material. Soluble fiber helps lower blood cholesterol, which reduces the risk for heart disease. It also helps regulate blood sugar by prolonging the time it takes for the stomach to empty.
- Foods containing soluble fiber: Oats, peas, beans, flax seed, nuts, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley, and psyllium.
To receive the most health benefits from fiber, strive to include a wide variety of fiber-rich foods in your diet.
Health Benefits Of Dietary Fiber:
Dietary fiber provides many health benefits beyond constipation relief. In addition to aiding in digestion, a high-fiber diet can help you lose weight and lower your risk for disease.
Promotes heart health. Soluble fiber helps to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. These are the “bad” cholesterol levels that increase your risk for heart attack or stroke. Fiber also helps lower your blood pressure, which is good for your cardiovascular health.
Controls blood sugar levels. Soluble fiber slows down the process of emptying the stomach, which slows the absorption of sugar in the body. Regulating blood sugar levels is especially important for diabetes patients. Stable blood sugar levels are also important for maintaining mood and energy. In addition to helping manage diabetes symptoms, insoluble fiber may reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the first place.
Boosts weight loss. Fiber is second only to protein in making you feel more full for a longer period of time after eating. High-fiber foods also tend to contain fewer calories per gram than other foods. The stabilizing effect that fiber has on your blood sugar also helps with shedding excess pounds, as you’re less likely to get sudden cravings for high-sugar and high-calorie foods.
How much dietary fiber do you need?
A balanced diet should include both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. Adequate fiber intake can help prevent constipation, lower your risk of heart disease, control blood sugar levels, and aid in weight loss.
The National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine recommends that men under 50 get at least 38 grams of fiber every day. After 50, the daily recommendation drops to only 30 grams. Women are advised to consume 25 grams of fiber daily before their 50th birthday, and at least 21 grams if they’re over the age of 50.
What foods provide fiber?
- Grains and whole-grain products
- Fruits
- Vegetables – If you have a gastric band some high fiber vegetables can give you problems. The most troublesome are corn, asparagus, and celery.
- Beans, peas, and other legumes
- Nuts and seeds – Watch these if you have a gastric band (LAP-BAND or REALIZE band)
Avoid refined or processed foods, including canned fruits and vegetables and pulp-free juice; white bread and pasta; and non-whole-grain cereals. The natural fiber content of these foods is reduced by the grain-refining process. You’ll also want to avoid removing the skin from your fruits and vegetables if you’re trying to boost your fiber intake.
Some people may take fiber supplements like Metamucil or Citrucel if they’re suffering from constipation, diarrhea, or irritable bowel syndrome. However, fiber supplements don’t provide the other essential vitamins and minerals that high-fiber foods do. Even if you’re taking a fiber supplement, you’ll want to incorporate as many fiber-rich whole foods as possible into your diet for maximum health. You should consult your doctor before taking any nutritional supplement.