Fiber: How Much Do I Need?

With so much hype about fiber intake, everybody seems to be worried about having its adequate quantity daily to keep bowel movement regular and swift. But how much fiber content suffices for a particular person is most of the time unknown.

All basics we know about fiber is that it is a plant food that our body cannot digest. Additionally, there are two types of fiber; soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Both types of fibers are good for our health.   

Knowing More about Soluble and Insoluble Fibre

Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel. This gel helps lower cholesterol level, reduces the risk of heart diseases, and regulates blood sugar level. It is found in black beans, Lima beans, avocado, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, turnips, peas, broccoli, etc.

Insoluble fiber passes through our digestive system in its form intact and therefore adds bulk to stools. This form of fiber prevents constipation and regulates bowel movements, removing waste from the body promptly. It is found in wheat flour, wheat bran, potatoes, green beans, cauliflower, etc.     

Eating fiber reduces the risk of dying from cardiac disease, stroke, Type II diabetes, and/ or colon cancer. The daily intake of fiber between 25 to 29 g reduces the risk of these diseases drastically.

Weight management is another benefit of a high-fiber diet as fiber helps you feel full for longer after a meal or snack which means you tend to eat less.

Yes, controlled weight.....That’s right.

How Much Fiber Is Enough?

According to studies, adults should consume 50- 25 grams of total fiber per day. Adult men should take 38 g of fiber daily whereas men and women older than 50 years should take at least 30 and 21g of fiber daily, respectively.

Having fiber from the whole food is a better choice than consuming fiber supplements such as Metamucil, Citrucel, and Benefiber.

These supplements do not provide different types of fiber, minerals, vitamins, and other beneficial nutrients that are rendered by whole foods naturally.

While you are choosing a food read for the food label to find out the fiber content. The thumb rule states choose cereals with six or more grams of fiber per serving. Your bread and crackers should have at least 3 or more grams of fiber per serving. Pasta should have four or more grams of fiber per serving.

Alternatively, you can make sure that the whole grain food you’re consuming has at least 1 g of fiber for every 10 g of carbohydrates which makes the ratio of 1:5.

When food product label read multigrain or 12 grains that don’t mean it is necessarily made up of whole grains because grains used can be refined which makes the food low in fiber. Always look for the tag of the whole as the first ingredient in products like whole wheat, whole rye, or whole oats.

Ways of Adding Fiber to Your Diet:

· Consume whole-grain cereal breakfast with at least 5 g of fiber.

· Check out the labels of the food and choose the ones with at least a few grams of fiber per serving. Foodstuff serving more than 5 g of fiber is excellent.

· Add vegetables, fried beans, and peas to your soup bowl.

· Try garnishing your plain yogurt with nuts, seeds, and fruits to enhance its flavor as well as fiber content

· Prepare a vegetarian chili filled with different types of beans and vegetables

· Add fruits, berries, nuts, and seeds to your salads.

· Consume of all-natural food and try to avoid processed for

· For snacks, you can try vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and green beans. You may try them with a freshly prepared healthy dip such as hummus or fresh salsa.

Take a Positive Approach

It is very essential to consume fiber-rich foods as besides reducing the risk of chronic diseases, eating a variety of whole food helps greatly in living a longer life with control over their weight. You are saved from the hassle of cooking to a great extent once you start relishing a fiber-rich diet.

Are you game for fiber diet!?