Keeping you "regular" is fiber’s most advertised benefit.  Medical studies show that fiber helps prevent constipation, hemorrhoids, and diverticulitis, a painful inflammation of small pouches along the colon wall.  What’s not as well known is fiber’s increasing role in preventing chronic disease.

Unfortunately, most North Americans don’t get enough fiber.  To increase your daily intake, eat a variety of fiber-rich foods, always opting for fresh over processed and whole grains over refined grains.

There are two kinds of fiber:  insoluble (found in many grains, cereals, seeds, and vegetables) and soluble (found in beans, lentils, pears, apples, oats, and barley).  Insoluble fiber speeds food through the colon and improves bowel health.  Soluble fiber helps to lower blood cholesterol and to stabilize blood sugar.  Both can help prevent such diseases as:

– Colon cancer.  A large study suggests that a high-fiber, low-fat diet may help reduce the risk of developing precancerous polyps in the colon.

– Heart disease.  A diet that includes at least 25 grams of fiber a day (compared to a diet with fewer than 15 grams) has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease.

– Diabetes.  A study of 65,000 women showed that those who regularly ate cereal fiber as part of a healthy diet had a lower risk of developing adult-onset diabetes.

Fiber is abundant in many foods.  Increasing your intake can be as easy as replacing your morning bagel with a bowl of whole-grain cereal, which can provide an extra 4 grams.  Health authorities recommend you aim for 20 to 35 grams of dietary fiber daily – achieved by eating the recommended servings of grains, vegetables, and fruits (leave the skins on).  Excellent sources of fiber include whole-wheat bread, bran cereal, brown rice, legumes, vegetables (cooked or raw), or fresh, unpeeled fruit.

A good source of fiber has at least 2.5 grams per serving.  For packaged foods, check the labels.  Here are examples, with fiber in grams indicated in ( ):

Grains:

– Shredded wheat, one biscuit – (2.5)

– Brown rice, 3/4 cup, cooked – (3)

– Oatmeal, 3/4 cup – (3)

– Whole wheat bread, two slices – (4)

– Raisin bran, 3/4 cup – (5)

– 100% wheat bran breakfast cereal, 1/3 cup – (8)

Legumes:

– Baked beans, 1/2 cup – (3)

– Kidney beans, 1/2 cup – (3)

– Lentils, 1/2 cup – (4)

Fruits:

– Strawberries, 1/2 cup – (2)

– Apple with skin, 1 medium – (3)

– Orange, 1 medium – (3)

– Pear with skin, 1 medium – (4)

Vegetables:

– Brussels sprouts, 1/2 cup – (2)

– Carrot, 1 medium – (3)

– Potato with skin, 1 medium, baked – (4)

Some reminders:  Gas, bloating, and abdominal cramps may result if you increase your fiber intake too quickly.  Also, drink lots of liquids when consuming more fiber or the extra bulk may slow or block bowel function.  Fiber supplements can help, but, unlike high-fiber foods, they contain no nutrients and can be expensive.  Take them only if a fiber-rich diet causes stomach distress.  Avoid them if you have a serious intestinal disorder.

Keeping you "regular" is fiber’s most advertised benefit.  Medical studies show that fiber helps prevent constipation, hemorrhoids, and diverticulitis, a painful inflammation of small pouches along the colon wall.  What’s not as well known is fiber’s increasing role in preventing chronic disease.

Unfortunately, most North Americans don’t get enough fiber.  To increase your daily intake, eat a variety of fiber-rich foods, always opting for fresh over processed and whole grains over refined grains.

There are two kinds of fiber:  insoluble (found in many grains, cereals, seeds, and vegetables) and soluble (found in beans, lentils, pears, apples, oats, and barley).  Insoluble fiber speeds food through the colon and improves bowel health.  Soluble fiber helps to lower blood cholesterol and to stabilize blood sugar.  Both can help prevent such diseases as:

– Colon cancer.  A large study suggests that a high-fiber, low-fat diet may help reduce the risk of developing precancerous polyps in the colon.

– Heart disease.  A diet that includes at least 25 grams of fiber a day (compared to a diet with fewer than 15 grams) has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease.

– Diabetes.  A study of 65,000 women showed that those who regularly ate cereal fiber as part of a healthy diet had a lower risk of developing adult-onset diabetes.

Fiber is abundant in many foods.  Increasing your intake can be as easy as replacing your morning bagel with a bowl of whole-grain cereal, which can provide an extra 4 grams.  Health authorities recommend you aim for 20 to 35 grams of dietary fiber daily – achieved by eating the recommended servings of grains, vegetables, and fruits (leave the skins on).  Excellent sources of fiber include whole-wheat bread, bran cereal, brown rice, legumes, vegetables (cooked or raw), or fresh, unpeeled fruit.

A good source of fiber has at least 2.5 grams per serving.  For packaged foods, check the labels.  Here are examples, with fiber in grams indicated in ( ):

Grains:

– Shredded wheat, one biscuit – (2.5)

– Brown rice, 3/4 cup, cooked – (3)

– Oatmeal, 3/4 cup – (3)

– Whole wheat bread, two slices – (4)

– Raisin bran, 3/4 cup – (5)

– 100% wheat bran breakfast cereal, 1/3 cup – (8)

Legumes:

– Baked beans, 1/2 cup – (3)

– Kidney beans, 1/2 cup – (3)

– Lentils, 1/2 cup – (4)

Fruits:

– Strawberries, 1/2 cup – (2)

– Apple with skin, 1 medium – (3)

– Orange, 1 medium – (3)

– Pear with skin, 1 medium – (4)

Vegetables:

– Brussels sprouts, 1/2 cup – (2)

– Carrot, 1 medium – (3)

– Potato with skin, 1 medium, baked – (4)

Some reminders:  Gas, bloating, and abdominal cramps may result if you increase your fiber intake too quickly.  Also, drink lots of liquids when consuming more fiber or the extra bulk may slow or block bowel function.  Fiber supplements can help, but, unlike high-fiber foods, they contain no nutrients and can be expensive.  Take them only if a fiber-rich diet causes stomach distress.  Avoid them if you have a serious intestinal disorder.