How important is Fiber consumption?

This week I am inspired to open your hearts to the wonderful world of Fiber. Fiber consumption could be argued to be one of the most important ways to feed our bodies, but it is far too low, and sometimes even completely missing from the Standard American Diet (SAD). Fiber is derived from the cellular residues of the foods we eat, and it not actually digested like the fat, protein and carbohydrate parts of the foods. The fibrous portions of foods get all the way to the large intestine virtually unchanged from when they are put into the mouth. The role of fiber in your gut is critical for the biological processes to happen, and therefore to keep you healthy.
Fiber deficiency is liked to many diseases including: appendicitis, breast cancer, colon and prostate cancer, colitis, diverticular disease, gallstones, hemorrhoids, hiatal hernia, ulcers and other gastrointestinal disorders.

The health benefits are many:

• reduces colon transit time
• binds bile acids
• increases fecal bulk
• causes fermentation in the large bowel
• increases water content in the bowels

Because of these great functions of fiber and the digestive system, increasing fiber intake has a benefit on many diseases. Soluble fibers function to lower cholesterol, reduce heart disease, regulate blood sugar, lower blood pressure and promote the life of beneficial bacteria. Insoluble fibers aid digestion and elimination and help decrease the toxicity of irregular bowels.

The recommended daily fiber intake is 35 grams! Are you getting enough?

When cooking or purchasing foods, look at the labels for fiber content per serving. Try to estimate your current fiber intake and consider making changes in your diet to increase your fiber to 35 grams per day. It may sound like a daunting task at first, but you will notice benefits quite rapidly. Ask your doctor for help!

The best way to get fiber working for your health is to consume fiber of all kinds, mixing soluble and insoluble fiber sources. Good sources of fibers include: whole grains (wheat, rice, corn, barley, millet, oats), legumes, nuts, fruits, leafy green vegetables, and seeds.

Enjoy!

Dr. Behnke

Reference: Kamen, Betty. New Facts About Fiber. 1997. Nutrition Encounter Inc. Novato, CA.