Should I be eating more fiber?

You probably know the basics about fiber: it’s the part of plant foods that your body cannot digest, and there are two types — soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Both types of fiber are good for us.

Soluble fiber dissolves in water, forming a gel. It is the form of fiber that helps lower cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of heart disease, and regulate blood sugar levels. Soluble fiber is found in black beans, lima beans, Brussels sprouts, avocado, sweet potato, broccoli, turnips, and pears.

Insoluble fiber passes through the digestive system relatively intact, adding bulk to stools. It is the form of fiber that prevents constipation and regulates bowel movements, removing waste from the body in a timely manner. Insoluble fibers are found in whole wheat flour, wheat bran, cauliflower, green beans, and potatoes.

Despite these health benefits, most Americans get less than half the suggested amounts of daily fiber. The popularity of very-low-carbohydrate diets like the ketogenic or “keto” diet, the Atkins diet, and the Whole 30 diet, which may unintentionally decrease fiber consumption, hasn’t helped matters.

It may be time to give fiber another look.

New evidence confirms protective effect of fiber

A new analysis of almost 250 studies confirmed on a large scale that eating lots of fiber from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains can decrease your risk of dying from heart disease and cancer. Those who ate the most fiber reduced their risk of dying from cardiac disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and/or colon cancer by 16% to 24%, compared to people who ate very little fiber. The study also concluded that more fiber is better. For every additional 8 grams of dietary fiber a person consumed, the risk for each of the diseases fell by another 5% to 27%. Risk reductions were greatest when daily intake of dietary fiber was between 25 and 29 grams.

Two observational studies showed that dietary fiber intake is also associated with a decreased risk of death from any cause. Those eating the highest amount of fiber reduced their risk of dying by 23% compared to those eating the least amount of fiber. In these studies, the associations were more evident for fiber from cereals and vegetables than from fruit.

Weight control is another benefit of high-fiber diets. By helping you feel full longer after a meal or snack, high-fiber whole grains can help you eat less. In one large study, adults who ate several servings of whole grains a day were less likely to have gained weight, or gained less weight, than those who rarely ate whole grains.

Fiber: how much is enough?

On average, American adults eat 10 to 15 grams of total fiber per day, while the USDA’s recommended daily amount for adults up to age 50 is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. Women and men older than 50 should have 21 and 30 daily grams, respectively.

In general, it’s better to get your fiber from whole foods than from fiber supplements. Fiber supplements such as Metamucil, Citrucel, and Benefiber don’t provide the different types of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients that whole foods do.

When reading a food label, choose foods that contain more fiber. As a rule of thumb, choose cereals with 6 or more grams of fiber per serving, breads and crackers with 3 or more grams per serving, and pasta with 4 or more grams per serving. Another strategy is to make sure that a whole-grain food has at least 1 gram of fiber for every 10 grams of carbohydrate. If you look for a 1:5 ratio, that is even better.

Ignore the marketing on front of the package labels. Just because a bread is labeled “multigrain” or “12 grain” does not mean it is a whole grain. The grains could be refined and the bread may be low in fiber. When you look at the ingredient list, make sure “whole” is the first ingredient.

Easy ways to get more fiber in your diet

Here are some strategies to increase fiber in your diet:

• Start your day with a bowl of high-fiber cereal.
• Add vegetables, dried beans, and peas to soups.
• Add nuts, seeds, and fruit to plain yogurt.
• Make a vegetarian chili filled with different types of beans and vegetables.
• Add berries, nuts, and seeds to salads.
• Try snacking on vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and green beans. Serve them with a healthy dip such as hummus or a fresh salsa.
• Eat more whole, natural foods and fewer processed foods.

A few important tips as you increase your fiber:

• Do so gradually to give your gastrointestinal tract time to adapt.
• Increase your water intake as you increase fiber.
• If you have any digestive problems, such as constipation, check with your physician before dramatically increasing your fiber consumption.

Take a positive approach to eating more high-fiber foods. Beyond reducing risk of chronic disease, eating a variety of whole foods that contain good sources of fiber can be an easy and enjoyable way to keep you fuller longer and help control your weight. Fiber can expand your horizons with different tastes and textures, and can be a bonus to your health.

How Much Do I Need?

Written by Kathleen M. Zelman, RD, LD, MPH

Medically Reviewed by Jennifer Robinson, MD on April 07, 2016

• Closing the Fiber Gap
• Soluble and Insoluble Fiber
• Meal Plan Packed With Fiber
• 7 Ways to Add More Fiber

You probably know that fiber is important to good health, but do you know if you are getting enough?

Most Americans aren’t. The average adult only eats 15 grams of fiber per day.

Women need 25 grams of fiber per day, and men need 38 grams per day, according to the Institute of Medicine.

Eating more plant foods — vegetables, beans, fruit, whole grains, and nuts — is the best way and is one of the recommendations from the U.S. government’s 2015 Dietary Guidelines.

These foods are all naturally rich in nutrients, including fiber, and provide all the health benefits that go along with a fiber-rich diet.

Top sources of fiber are: beans (all kinds), peas, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, artichokes, whole wheat flour, barley, bulgur, bran, raspberries, blackberries, and prunes.

Good sources of fiber include: lettuce, dark leafy greens, broccoli, okra, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, potatoes with the skin, corn, snap beans, asparagus, cabbage, whole wheat pasta, oats, popcorn, nuts, raisins, pears, strawberries, oranges, bananas, blueberries, mangoes, and apples.

Avoiding refined grains — such as white flour, white bread, white pasta, and white rice — and replacing them with whole grains is a great way to boost the amount of fiber in your diet. The Dietary Guidelines recommend at least half your grains be whole grains, but with all of the whole grain options available now, it’s easy to do even better than that.

Whole foods are the preferred way to get fiber, because they also give you nutrients your body needs.

All plant foods have fiber in different amounts.

Most fiber is soluble, meaning that it dissolves in water, or insoluble, meaning that it does not dissolve in water.

Soluble fiber is found in beans, peas, lentils, oatmeal, oat bran, nuts, seeds, psyllium, apples, pears, strawberries, and blueberries. Soluble fiber is linked to lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, regulating blood sugar, and a lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Insoluble fiber is found in whole grains, barley, whole-grain couscous, brown rice, bulgur, wheat bran, nuts, seeds, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, celery, green beans, dark leafy vegetables, raisins, nuts, grapes, and tomatoes. It helps keep you regular, prevents constipation, and lowers the chance of getting diverticular disease.

Foods high in fiber can also make you feel full longer and curb overeating. High-fiber foods are filling. They need more chewing, which may help you feel full faster.

Fiber is also linked to a lower risk of certain cancers such as colorectal cancer.

This sample menu for a day gives you 37 grams of fiber:

• Breakfast: whole-grain bran flake cereal (5 grams of fiber), half a banana (1.5 grams of fiber), and skim milk.
• Snack: 24 almonds (3.3 grams of fiber) and a quarter cup of raisins (1.5 grams of fiber)
• Lunch: Turkey sandwich made with 2 slices of whole wheat bread, lettuce, and tomato (5 grams of fiber), and an orange (3.1 grams of fiber)
• Snack: Yogurt with half a cup of blueberries (2 grams of fiber)
• Dinner: Grilled fish with a salad of romaine lettuce and shredded carrots (2.6 grams of fiber), half a cup of spinach (2.1 grams of fiber), and half a cup of lentils (7.5 grams of fiber)
• Snack: 3 cups popped popcorn (3.5 grams of fiber)

1. Start your day with a whole-grain cereal that has at least 5 grams of fiber. Look at the list of ingredients to be sure the whole grain (such as whole wheat, whole rye, or whole oats) is first on the list.
2. Read labels and choose foods with at least a few grams of fiber per serving. A good source of fiber has 2.5-4.9 grams of fiber per serving. An excellent source has 5 grams or more per serving.
3. Use whole-grain breads with at least 2-3 grams of fiber per slice for sandwiches.
4. Choose whole fruit over juice. Whole fruit can have as much as twice the amount of fiber as a glass of juice.
5. Toss beans into your soups, stews, egg dishes, salads, chili, and Mexican dishes. Substitute beans for all of the meat in at least one vegetarian meal per week.
6. Experiment with international cuisines (such as Indian or Middle Eastern) that use whole grains and beans in main dishes.
7. Snack on raw vegetables with bean dip or hummus.

It’s best to boost fiber in your diet gradually and drink plenty of water, so your digestive system has time to adjust.

A good rule of thumb is to add about 5 grams of fiber per day, spread throughout the day, until you reach your goal.

Top Picks

How much fiber per day does the body need?

Table of contents

• What is fiber
• Fiber per day
• Tips

Disclaimer

Please note that all information posted on the site
Prowellness is provided for informational purposes only and is not a personal program, a direct recommendation for action, or medical advice. Do not use these materials for diagnosis, treatment, or any medical procedure. Consult your physician before using any technique or using any product. This site is not a specialized medical portal and does not replace the professional advice of a specialist. The Site Owner is not liable to any party who has suffered indirect or direct damage as a result of misuse of materials posted on this resource.

How much fiber per day does the body need?

Not everyone knows how useful and important fiber is for our body. 90% of the population do not consume even half of the daily allowance of this valuable substance. Hence, poor immunity, general well-being, problems with the intestines. It is necessary to study this issue and change your diet so that the amount of fiber is the daily norm.

What is fiber

Fiber is a complex type of carbohydrate, dietary fiber, which is divided into two large groups:

1. Soluble fibre. These are dietary fibers that can absorb water and turn into a jelly mass in the intestines. This type of fiber lowers “bad” cholesterol, reduces glucose absorption, improves bowel function, and feeds beneficial gut bacteria.
2. Insoluble fibre. These are coarse fibers that cannot absorb water and are excreted from the body unchanged. The benefit of these fibers is the ability to improve bowel function by simulating peristalsis. They provide daily bowel movements.

Attention! The positive effects of fiber intake are clear. It promotes weight loss, normalizes metabolism. This leads not only to internal normalization, but also to external beauty, as the skin becomes clear, and weight is reduced, due to a decrease in appetite.

Proper fiber intake helps prolong life, reduces the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Fiber per day

Eat 25-30 grams of dietary fiber per day to keep your gut and whole body healthy. The exact amount depends on age, weight, and physical activity.

The average norm is 28 grams of fiber per day. This is the norm for both men and women of middle age.

Attention! A person over 50 years of age needs more fiber – up to 30-35 grams. For children under three years old, 19 is enoughgrams of dietary fiber.

Tips

For the consumption of useful substances, it is necessary to establish nutrition. Here are some tips for those who want to consume a daily fiber intake:

1. Oatmeal is better for breakfast. To increase the content of dietary fiber, you can add an apple or some walnuts to it.
2. Need more legumes. Beans, peas, beans are sources of dietary fiber, as well as vegetable protein. A small serving of boiled beans contains almost 70% of the daily fiber requirement.
3. Vegetables and fruits must be eaten with the skin on. It contains half of the fiber.
4. Do not give up seeds and nuts. In small quantities, these foods are able to supply the body with dietary fiber, but it is important for those who lose weight to take into account their caloric content.
5. Bread must be whole grain.
6. The fiber absorbs water, and therefore, in order to avoid dehydration, you should follow the drinking regimen.
7. Barley contains 3 grams of fiber per serving.
8. Beets for dinner – plus 2 grams of fiber.

Attention! It is also not worth overdoing with dietary fiber. The increased content of fiber in food leads to malabsorption of vitamins and increased gas formation.

Coarse bran is one of the largest sources of fiber. They contain 43 grams (one and a half daily norms) of the substance per 100 grams of product.

One of the first signs of improper fiber intake is diarrhea or constipation. Abdominal pain and cramps can occur immediately after a sharp glut of fiber.

Disclaimer

Please note that all information posted on the site
Prowellness is provided for informational purposes only and is not a personal program, a direct recommendation for action, or medical advice. Do not use these materials for diagnosis, treatment, or any medical procedure. Consult your physician before using any technique or using any product. This site is not a specialized medical portal and does not replace the professional advice of a specialist. The Site Owner is not liable to any party who has suffered indirect or direct damage as a result of misuse of materials posted on this resource.

Expert: Ekaterina Podvalenchuk An expert in nutrition and health

Reviewer: Ekaterina Vorobieva Adept of a healthy and active lifestyle

Fiber: why is it needed, what is useful and what foods contain it

Health

© Dose Juice/Unsplash

Author

Julia Tsiruleva

October 04, 2021

We try to take into account the amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in order to fully eat. But we often forget about another important element – fiber. RBC Style understands how much dietary fiber and why the body needs it.

1. How fiber works
2. How much fiber does the body need
3. How to choose products
4. Which foods are rich in fiber
5. How to lose weight with fiber
6. Daily diet

Fiber is a dietary fiber that does not provide us with energy and is not digested by the body, so food and beverage manufacturers do not include fiber when they list a product’s nutritional information. Why fiber should not be forgotten and what is its use?

How fiber works

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Fiber fibers are processed by beneficial intestinal microflora and support the stable functioning of the digestive system. Fiber reduces the feeling of hunger, and this helps not to overeat and control weight. Soluble dietary fiber regulates blood sugar and cholesterol levels, while insoluble fiber cleanses the body and removes toxins. And this is only part of the beneficial properties of fiber.

In February 2019, Harvard University Medical School published the results of 250 studies [1] that confirm the protective function of dietary fiber. Approximately 30 grams of fiber per day reduces the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes and colon cancer by 16-24%.

According to the US National Library of Medicine, eating a high-fiber diet reduces mortality from infectious and respiratory diseases from 24 to 56% in men, and from 34 to 59% in women [2].

Fiber is extremely important for intestinal microflora

© Maddi Bazzocco/Unsplash

How much fiber the body needs

The more, the better, according to experts [3]. American scientists indicate [4] that women and men under 50 need 25 and 38 grams of fiber per day, and after 50 – 21 and 30 grams, respectively. That’s roughly equal to a cup of lentils, a bowl of boiled beans or buttered broccoli, two pears, a large bowl of tomato and cucumber salad, a serving of vegetable soup, and a handful of prunes.

Nutritionists in the UK add [5] that children 2 to 5 years old need 15 grams of fiber per day, 5 to 11 years old 20 grams and 11 to 16 years old 25 grams. The average teenager needs to eat 2-3 vegetables a day-these can be cucumbers, tomatoes or carrots, the same amount of fruits (for example, bananas, kiwi, pears, apples), 1-2 toasts of whole-grain bread, a portion of vegetable soup, a plate of baked eggplants or boiled broccoli, a portion of whole cereals (buckwheat, rice), a cup of dry fuel . Experts advise offering children and teenagers plenty of raw vegetables and fruits, so vegetable and fruit salads and vegetable juices can be added above the minimum daily allowance or instead of hot meals.

Fiber can be offered to children in the form of raw vegetables

© Foodism360/Unsplash

How to choose foods

Experts recommend natural, high-fiber foods. For example, 6 or more grams of fiber is optimal for cereal and muesli, 3 or more for bread and crackers, and 4 or more for pasta. It’s important to make sure whole grains have at least 1 gram of fiber per 10 grams of carbs. The best ratio would be 1:5. Nutritionists emphasize that the words “multigrain” or “12 grains” in the name do not mean anything by themselves – you need to check the list of ingredients.

What foods are rich in fiber

First of all, eat as many natural plant foods as possible. Fresh fruits and nuts are often more expensive than regular sweets, and making inexpensive cereals, beans, and lentils isn’t always easy, but it can help you eat a balanced diet.

Experts consider leaders in fiber content [6]:

1. Wheat bran — 43.6 grams of fiber per 100 grams of product.
2. Chia seeds – 34.4 gr.
3. Dried fruits (figs, apricots, dried apricots) – 18 gr.
4. Almonds – 12.5 gr.
5. Buckwheat – 11.3 gr.
6. Dark chocolate – 10.9 gr.
7. Oats (oatmeal) – 10.6 gr.
8. Artichokes – 8. 6 gr.
9. Peas – 8.3 gr.
10. Barley, oatmeal and pearl barley – 8.0 gr.
11. Lentils and chickpeas – 7.9 gr.
12. Raspberry, gooseberry, blackberry – 6.5 gr.
13. Beans – 6.4 gr.

How to Lose Weight with Fiber

Soluble fiber helps fight belly fat [7], one of the most dangerous types of obesity according to experts. An additional 10g of vegetable fibers in the daily diet reduces the risk of gaining excess weight by 3.7% [8].

Fiber keeps the gut microflora healthy, reduces the production of hormones [9] that cause hunger and slows down the movement of food in the intestines, helping to prevent overeating.

As with most weight loss methods, a fiber-rich diet alone is not enough to lose weight and maintain results. It is also necessary to take into account the general state of health [10], the usual diet, sleep quality and physical activity.

To add fiber to your daily diet, you need to eat as many natural plant foods as possible. Fresh fruits and nuts are often more expensive than regular sweets, and making inexpensive cereals, beans, and lentils isn’t always easy, but it can help you eat a balanced diet.

If you decide to lose weight with fiber, then you should pay attention to:

• raw and cooked vegetables;
• whole grain flakes, muesli;
• oatmeal;
• soups with vegetables, beans or legumes;
• Vegetarian stews made from various varieties of beans and vegetables;
• salads with seeds, berries and cereals.

In addition, nutritionists advise snacking on broccoli, carrots, beans or cauliflower, seasoned with hummus or fresh salsa, and adding nuts, berries and fruits to simple sugar-free yogurts.

How to determine the approximate amount of fiber in a serving [11]:

© Table: fiber content in foods

Daily diet

The UK National Health Service gives an example of a diet rich in fiber (approximately 32.