Increasing Your Fiber Intake

Fiber is a veritable household word these days. It seems every third commercial on television promotes one or another product containing this wonder substance and promises benefits ranging from bowel regularity to weight loss. So what's the scoop on the fiber mystique? Does fiber do what it is supposed to do? What's the best form of fiber? How much should you be getting?
     Fiber, a form of carbohydrate, has a number of health benefits.

• Fiber promotes bowel regularity, which helps prevent hemorrhoids.
• It may reduce the risk of colon and rectal cancers.
• Fiber reduces the risk of diverticulosis, a condition characterized by small pouches (diverticula) on the colon wall, and diverticulitis, inflammation of the diverticula.
• Fiber lowers cholesterol.

          Dietary fiber is found only in plant foods, not in animal products. Since it is not digested, the body absorbs no calories from fiber. Because of this, and because it gives the stomach a feeling of fullness, fiber is an excellent weight-control aid (when consumed in suggested amounts). There are two main types of fiber: insoluble and soluble.

• Insoluble fiber speeds up the movement of food through the intestines and promotes bowel regularity. Cellulose,hemicellulose, and lignin are all types of insoluble fibers. They can be found in foods such as asparagus, peas, kidney and pinto beans, and the wheat bran found in whole-wheat breads and cereals.
• Soluble fibers slow down the movement of food through the intestines. They also appear to be effective at lowering blood cholesterol. Pectin, gum, and mucilage are examples of soluble fibers in the diet. Oat bran is a source of soluble fiber, as a rolled oats, brocolli, brussels sprouts, grapefruit, apples, and pinto and navy beans.

     The typical American takes in 10 to 20 grams of dietary fiber a day. Although there is no RDA for fiber, several groups recommend an intake of 20 to 35 grams of fiber per day. Here are some examples of the amounts of fiber contained in common foods:

         1/2 cup bran cereal                                    10.0 grams

         3 cups popcorn                                            2.8 grams

         1 slice whole-grain bread                              2.7 grams

         1/2 cup whole oats                                       1.6 grams

         1/2 cup brown rice                                       1.3 grams

         1 slice white bread                                        0.8 gram

         1/2 cup white rice                                         0.5 gram

         1 small apple                                                3.8 grams

         1 small pear                                                 2.5 grams

         1/2 cup blackberries                                    3.7 grams

         1/2 grapefruit                                               1.3 grams

         10 grapes                                                     0.4 gram

         1/2 cup kidney beans                                   4.5 grams

         1/2 cup pinto beans                                      3.0 grams

         1/2 cup peas                                                5.2 grams

         1 small potato                                              3.8 grams

         1/2 cup brocolli                                            2.6 grams

         1/2 cup iceburg lettuce                                  0.5 gram

    

     Resist the urge to make up for lost time by boosting your fiber intake to the recommended level overnight. Otherwise, you may be in for an uncomfortable gastric surprise, including gas, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea. Instead, increase your fiber intake gradually, going up to recommended levels over the course of a couple of weeks, even a month, and be sure to increase your fluid intake at the same time.

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