Fiber is a carbohydrate. High-fiber foods include fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains.
What Are the Health Benefits of Fiber?
Humans can’t digest it, but research from 2009 shows fiber offers several health benefits, such as:
- Lowering blood pressure
- Lowering cholesterol levels
- Enhancing insulin sensitivity
- Assisting individuals with obesity lose weight
- Improving immune function
Fiber comes in two different forms: soluble and insoluble. Both types are essential for good nutrition.
Soluble fiber can dissolve in water and gastrointestinal fluids. When you ingest soluble fiber, the colon breaks it down into a gel that’s then digested by gut bacteria.
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You can find soluble fiber in foods like:
- Oats
- Black beans
- Lima beans
- Avocado
- Pears
- Nectarines
- Carrots
- Sweet potatoes
- Broccoli
- Hazelnuts
- Sunflower seeds
Insoluble fiber can’t dissolve in water or other fluids, which means it remains mostly intact during digestion. It helps form stools and control constipation.
The following foods are rich in insoluble fiber:
- Wheat bran
- Whole grains
- Cauliflower
- Potatoes
- Green beans
- Nuts
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises that adults consume 28 grams of fiber per day.
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Coronary Heart Disease Benefits
Individuals consuming high amounts of dietary fiber can significantly decrease their incidence and
