Why is fiber in your diet so important?

 

Let's make this very practical.  This is not the first time you have heard that fiber is important, so I want to not only remind you of why this important, but give you practical safe steps to get there. 

First, be suspicious of high fiber health claims on boxes of packaged or prepared foods.  While the claim may be technically true, it may also be a distraction from other health problems with the item in question, such as high sugar or salt content.  Also, to make an otherwise unhealthy product qualify for a health claim, some manufacturers are using “fiber additives” such as inulin, maltodextrin, and polydextrose.  It seems doubtful that these are as healthy as natural fibers occurring in foods.  Take home point: foods with a long list of ingredients should raise suspicions. 

Second, it's easy to add fiber without making radical changes, and just picking a few of your favorites to include on a daily rotation. Beans and legumes are among your best choices, and just 1/2 a cup of the following (cooked) provide between 7 and 9 grams of fiber: French green beans,  split peas, lentils, black beans, pinto beans. Fruits are also excellent choices, with a cup of blackberries or raspberries providing between 7 and 8 grams of fiber, while a medium sized apple (with skin) provides around 5 grams. There are many great high fiber vegetable choices to love, including Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and kale. Finally, remember whole grains such as rolled oats, brown rice, barley, and bulgur wheat. Starting your day with a combination of old-fashioned cooked oatmeal with some fruit and nuts gives you a fiber head start and energy that lasts all morning!

But why am I telling you about dietary fiber?  The science on dietary fiber and health shows a solid link between fiber intake and countless benefits to a long span of healthy living.  A short summary in the Harvard Health Letter recently pointed out that more fiber helps to control blood sugar, protects against heart disease by decreasing inflammation in arteries, normalizing blood pressure, and improving cholesterol numbers, and helping with weight concerns by preventing overeating. 

Dietary fiber is part of a cancer prevention diet too.  For colon cancer, the work of the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has made very clear that a diet high in whole grains, that are rich in fiber, is associated with protection against colon cancer.  Their research goes beyond whole grains, and makes the same assertion for the colon cancer preventive effects of a diet high in fiber.  And important especially to women, dietary fiber plays a very important role in breast cancer prevention.  The details of this were published in February 2016 in the medical journal, Pediatrics, authored by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health.  Here’s a short summary, quoting directly from the article: “ …consumption of foods high in fiber reduce breast cancer risk. These results also suggest that dietary fiber intake during adolescence and early adulthood may be particularly important. Our findings are in line with the American Cancer Society guidelines to consume foods rich in fiber such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.”  

Finally, please remember that whole grains are included in the cancer prevention recommendations.  Many current fad diets are phobic about grains, in my view a dangerous dietary trend.  I am not a fan of refined grain products that turn grain into such finely ground flour that it becomes a sugar equivalent.  But whole grains are important, for this and many other reasons.  So when thinking “what to eat now…” make vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains among your top choices.  And you can feel a smile on the inside, knowing that you are helping prevent heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, inflammation, high cholesterol, and cancers. What a gift is good food!

 

 

 

To your health, 

 

Robert Pendergrast, MD, MPH

Aiken-Augusta Holistic Health

 

references: 

1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/foods-high-in-fiber-boost-your-health-with-fiber-rich-foods, accessed March 20, 2024

2. https://www.aicr.org/research/third-expert-report/, accessed March 20, 2024

3. Maryam S. Farvid, A. Heather Eliassen, Eunyoung Cho, Xiaomei Liao, Wendy Y. Chen, Walter C. Willett; Dietary Fiber Intake in Young Adults and Breast Cancer Risk. Pediatrics March 2016; 137 (3): e20151226. 10.1542/peds.2015-1226