The benefits of fiber are well known. Fiber helps to prevents constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. Fiber can also prevent some cancers, especially colon and breast cancer. It helps lower the LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol thereby reducing the risk of heart disease. It can also help to prevent diabetes and manage diabetes by lowering the blood sugar levels.
There are two basic types of fiber - soluble and insoluble fiber. Your body needs both types. Some Insoluble fiber foods include whole grains and on the outside of seeds, fruits, legumes, and other foods. Insoluble fiber helps to move bulk through the intestines and helps to control the pH (acidity) in the intestines. Some soluble fiber foods include many fruits and vegetables, seeds, oats, barley and oat bran. Soluble fiber binds with fatty acids and prolongs stomach emptying time so that sugar is released and absorbed more slowly.
Benefits of Insoluble fiber include:
• Helps remove toxic waste through the colon faster
• Helps prevent colon cancer by keeping an optimal pH in intestines thereby preventing microbes from producing cancerous toxins.
Benefits of soluble fiber include:
• Lowers LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol thereby reducing the risk of heart disease
• Regulates blood sugar for people with diabetes.
So how much fiber per day should you consume? According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans1 the recommended dietery fiber intake should be about 14 grams of fiber per 1000 calories consumed. Healthy foods high in fiber should be taken throughout life but fiber intake varys depending on age and gender.
The following table shows the recommended or desirable daily intake of fiber per day varying by age and gender. The data originates from the National Academy of Sciences. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board.2
| Demographic | Age | g/day Fiber |
|---|---|---|
| Infants | 0-6 months | Not determinable |
| Infants | 7-12 months | Not determinable |
| Children | 1-3 years | 19 |
| Children | 4-8 years | 25 |
| Males | 9-13 years | 31 |
| Males | 14-18 years | 38 |
| Males | 19-30 years | 38 |
| Males | 31-50 years | 38 |
| Males | 50-70 years | 30 |
| Males | > 70 years | 30 |
| Females | 9-13 years | 26 |
| Females | 14-18 years | 26 |
| Females | 19-30 years | 25 |
| Females | 31-50 years | 25 |
| Females | 50-70 years | 21 |
| Females | > 70 years | 21 |
The following table displays a list of high fiber foods. The data was obtained from the USDA National Nutrient Database
| Common Foods Fiber Content | Fiber per 100 Grams |
|---|---|
| Corn bran (crude) | 79.0 |
| Wheat bran (crude) | 42.8 |
| Flaxseed | 27.3 |
| Navy beans (raw) | 24.4 |
| Barley, Pearled, Raw | 15.6 |
| Oat Bran Flakes (Kellogg's) | 13.0 |
| Almond nuts | 12.2 |
| Black beans (cooked) | 8.7 |
| Pinto beans (cooked) | 8.6 |
| Sunflower seeds (dried) | 8.6 |
| Artichockes (cooked) | 8.6 |
| Split peas (cooked) | 8.3 |
| Baked potatoes with skin | 7.9 |
| Lentils (cooked) | 7.9 |
| Oatmeal Cereal (Quaker) | 7.4 |
| Prunes | 7.1 |
| Lima beans (cooked) | 7.0 |
| Avocado | 6.7 |
| Rasperries | 6.5 |
| Peas (cooked) | 5.5 |
| Spagatti (wholeweat & Cooked) | 4.5 |
| Raisins (seedless) | 3.7 |
| Broccoli (cooked) | 3.3 |
| Kiwi | 3.0 |
| Figs | 2.9 |
| Carrots (raw) | 2.8 |
| Brussle sprouts (cooked) | 2.6 |
| Bananas | 2.6 |
| Sweet corn (cooked) | 2.4 |
| Apple (raw with skin) | 2.4 |
| Oranges | 2.4 |
| Kale (cooked) | 2.0 |
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , 2005 [↩]
- Dietary Reference Intakes: Macronutrients National Academy of Sciences. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. [↩]
