Fiber 101

Printable Version

People who choose diets rich in fiber enjoy a less-restrictive approach, and actually lose weight faster than others. They also receive health benefits such as a reduced risk of colon cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. So let’s take a look.

---

Dietary fiber includes all parts of plant foods that your body can't digest or absorb, so it isn't digested by your body. Fiber comes in two forms, soluble and insoluble. Both kinds of fiber are good for you. Soluble fiber acts like a sponge; insoluble fiber acts like a broom.

• Soluble fiber dissolves in water. It absorbs water in the intestines, mixes the food into a gel, slowing digestion, and regulates the metabolism. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. You can find soluble fiber in oats, barley, rye, peas, beans, apples, carrots, and psyllium.
• Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water, and absorbs many times its own weight in water, adding bulk and softness to the stools. Think of this fiber like a tooth brush that cleans out your intestines. Whole grains, wheat bran, nuts, citrus fruits and vegetables are good sources of insoluble fiber.

Most Americans consume around 11 grams of fiber per day - less than half the recommended amount. Men age 14 to 50 years should get 38g per day, and women age 19 to 50 years should get 25g per day. Men and women over the age of 50 should get 30g and 21g per day, respectively.

Fiber can reduce hunger. An empty stomach produces the appetite - inducing ghrelin hormone causing you to feel hungry. Slowing digestion can turn this hunger trigger off - and you can do that with fiber. The slower your stomach empties, the fuller you’ll feel, and the lower your chance of overeating.

Fiber actually eliminates calories from the food you eat. Research shows that people who consume a diet high in fiber excrete more calories in their stool. This is because fiber helps to block the absorption of calories you consume and lead those calories out of the body. In one study at Germany’s University of Kiel, scientists discover ed that those who consumed 28g more fiber than others excreted 7% more of their total calories consumed daily (amounting to about 7 extra calories flushed per added gram of fiber consumed). For a person on a 2000 calorie program, that’s more than 10 pounds of potential body fat that get’s flushed each year just from eating more fiber. So up your daily fiber intake, enjoy better health, and shed more of those unwanted pounds.