Health Benefits of Fiber

You've probably heard many times that you should be eating a high-fiber diet, but do you know why fiber is so good for your health?

First, what is fiber? It's the indigestible part of plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. When you consume dietary fiber, most of it passes through the intestines and is not digested.

Fiber is best known for preventing or relieving constipation, but it has many other health benefits as well.

The 12 major health benefits of fiber include:
 
1. Provides bulk in the diet, increasing satiety
2. Delays emptying of the stomach (keeping you full longer)
3. Aids in weight loss by providing a small number of calories in large volumes of food
4. Prevents constipation and establishes regular bowel movements
5. Prevents bacteria growth in the appendix (appendicitis)
6. May help lower the risk of colon cancer
7. Helps to retain the health and tone of the digestive tract muscles (prevents diverticulosis)
8. Lowers cholesterol
9. Reduces the risks of heart and artery disease
10. Regulates the body's absorption of glucose, helping to control blood sugar and lowering the risk of diabetes
11. Reduces inflammation
12. Strengthens the immune system

So how much fiber do you need in order to reap the health benefits? The National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine gives the following daily recommendations for adults:

• Women under 50: 25 grams
• Women over 50: 21 grams
• Men under 50: 38 grams
• Men over 50: 30 grams

If you're like most people, you have no idea how many grams of fiber you consume per day. A great way to find out is by tracking your food using a website or app such as MyFitnessPal.com.

Next week we'll give you tips on how to incorporate more fiber into your diet from a variety of sources.