Fiber

Health Benefits of Fiber

Fiber
A high fiber diet has a wide range of health benefits including better digestion, weight loss, and lower risk of heart disease. Fiber acts as a source of food over 500 different species of bacteria that live in your body. Take care of them and they’ll take care of you!

Benefits of Fiber
Weight Loss
Lower Blood Cholesterol
Weight Loss
Better Digestion
May Reduce Risk of Colon Cancer
May Reduce Risk of Type II Diabetes
Lowers LDL (Bad Cholesterol)
Helps Regulate Glucose and Insulin

Weight Loss
Studies comparing people with high fiber diets to people with low fiber diets show that people with diets higher in fiber weight less. That’s because foods high in fiber make people feel fuller as opposed to foods low in fiber. When you feel full, you’re less likely to eat, leading to lower daily caloric intake.

Digestion
Fiber is also instrumental in regulating bowel movements. A diet rich in fiber can prevent painful hemorrhoids and constipation. Fiber allows the digestive system to produce large stools that can be moved through your digestive system quickly and easily.

Cholesterol and Heart Disease
Fiber blocks cholesterol from being absorbed into the large intestines. This results in lower bad cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease.

Soluble and Insoluble Fiber
There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, insoluble fiber does not.

Sources of Soluble Fiber
You can get increase your fiber intake in your diet by eating green beens, and dark green leafy vegetables, fruit and vegetable skins, seeds, nuts, corn bran, wheat oats, and whole wheat products.

Sources of Insoluble Fiber
You can add more insoluble fiber to your diet by taking in barley, flax seed, nuts, and oat bran.

More recognizable sources of dietary fiber are Cheerios, Quaker Oatmeal, prunes, plums, apples, and oranges.

Recommended Daily Fiber Intake: 20 grams to 35 grams