General Health

By now, we’ll see how dietary fiber affects the health and survival of the human body. Human beings require food to grow, reproduce, and maintain good health. Without food, our bodies could not stay warm, build or repair tissue, or maintain a heartbeat. Eating the right foods can help us avoid certain diseases or recover faster when illness occurs.

What about dietary fiber?

Fiber is sometimes called bulk or roughage and found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. It consists primarily of cellulose, a component of plant cell walls. According to Encarta, diets high in fiber can help prevent overeating and obesity, medical condition characterized by storage of excess body fat.

High-fiber foods also tend to have fewer calories for their volume than foods lower in fiber—another plus for dieters. In addition, a diet high in fiber protects against constipation, difficulty in eliminating bowel movements from the body.

Studies have shown that fiber also appears to have an effect on heart disease and diabetes. Soluble fiber lowers levels of artery-clogging cholesterol in the bloodstream. By lowering glucose (blood sugar) levels, fiber can help people with type II diabetes.

What are the sources of fiber, then?

People can boost their intake of dietary fiber by eating more fruits, vegetables, and grains.

We can also get high fiber from dried peas, beans, white bread or pasta, grain breads, raw and cooked fruits, bran muffins, oatmeal, brown rice, grain cereals, and popcorn without butter.

In the end, there are so many benefits we can get from dietary fiber, it is a good idea to add fiber to the diet slowly. Notice that, eating more fiber over a short period can cause bloating, intestinal gas, and mild abdominal cramping.

Enriched from Encarta and other resources

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