Fitting more fiber into your diet

      Eat more fiber. You've probably heard that before. But do you know why
fiber is so good for your health?

      Dietary fiber - found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and
legumes - is probably best known for its ability to prevent or relieve
constipation. But fiber may also provide other health benefits, including
reducing your risk of several diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

      So how much fiber do you need each day? National Academy of Sciences'
Institute of Medicine, which provides national dietary guidelines, gives the
following daily recommendations for adults:

        a.. 38 grams for men and 25 grams for women 50 and younger
        b.. 30 grams for men and 21 grams for women 51 and older

              a.. Guidelines for good nutrition


      Do you need to eat more fiber? Read on to learn more about fiber and
how you can incorporate more of this beneficial compound into your meals and
snacks.


                  What is fiber?


      Fiber - also known as roughage or bulk - includes all parts of plant
foods that your body can't digest or absorb. Fiber is classified into two
categories: Those that don't dissolve in water (insoluble fiber) and those
that do (soluble fiber).

        a.. Insoluble fiber. This type of fiber moves through your digestive
system more quickly than its counterpart. Insoluble fiber can help promote
soft, bulky stools. Whole-wheat flour, nuts, vegetables, bran and fruits
with edible seeds, such as raspberries, are good sources of insoluble fiber.

        a.. Soluble fiber. This type of fiber dissolves in water to form a
gel-like material. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels.
You can find generous quantities of soluble fiber in oats, legumes, barley,
apples, citrus fruits, carrots and psyllium.
      The amount of each type of fiber varies in different plant foods. To
receive the greatest health benefit, eat a wide variety of high-fiber foods.


                  Benefits of bulking up


      Digestive enzymes can't break down fiber, unlike other food components
such as fats, proteins or carbohydrates, which your body breaks down and
absorbs. Fiber passes virtually unchanged through your stomach and small
intestine and into your colon.

      In the colon, bacteria ferment some forms of fiber. Other forms of
fiber resist fermentation and pass in stool unchanged, which increases the
weight and size of your stool in addition to softening it. A bulky stool is
easier to pass, decreasing the chance of constipation. If you have loose,
watery stools, fiber may also help to solidify the stool because it absorbs
water and adds bulk to stool.

      A high-fiber diet may lower your risk of specific disorders, such as
hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome and the development of small pouches
in your colon (diverticular disease). Fiber may also lower blood cholesterol
levels and slow the absorption of sugar, which, for people with diabetes,
may decrease the need for insulin. A high-fiber diet may also reduce the
risk of developing type 2 diabetes (formerly called adult-onset or
noninsulin-dependent diabetes).

      In addition, fiber may reduce the risk of colon cancer. Insoluble
fiber speeds movement of digested food through your intestine. This may
reduce the amount of time your colon is exposed to cancer-promoting
substances formed during digestion. But it's not yet clear whether other
ingredients in fibrous foods or fiber alone helps protect against cancer.

      Eating a high-fiber diet may also help with weight control. High-fiber
foods generally require more chewing time, which gives your body time to
register when you're no longer hungry, so you're less likely to overeat.
Also, a high-fiber diet tends to make a meal feel larger and linger longer,
so you stay full for a greater amount of time. And high-fiber diets tend to
be less "energy dense," which means they have fewer calories for the same
volume of food.