Health Benefits of Fiber

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Health Benefits of Fiber Kaplan University SC115 – 05 Health Benefits of Fiber Fiber is an essential part of everyone’s diet. It is good for regularity and constipation. It also prevents fat absorption, helps us feel fuller for a longer period of time, which will keep us from snacking on unhealthy foods, and helps lower cholesterol. What else can we ask for? Fiber is absolutely an important part of a healthy diet. According to an article from the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2009), “Diets high in fiber may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease through several mechanisms. Experimental studies in humans have shown that dietary fiber, especially water soluble fiber, favorably affects blood pressure, serum lipid profile, insulin sensitivity and inflammation (Larsson, Männistö, Virtanen, Kontto, Albanes and Virtamo, 2009, para 1). Many diseases can be prevented by increasing the fiber intake in our diet. “A generous intake of dietary fiber reduces risk for developing the following diseases: coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and certain gastrointestinal disorders. Furthermore, increased consumption of dietary fiber improves serum lipid concentrations, lowers blood pressure, improves blood glucose control in diabetes, promotes regularity, aids in weight loss, and appears to improve immune function” (Anderson, Baird, Davis Jr, Ferreri, Knudtson, Koraym, Waters, and Williams, 2009, para 2) . Even though there are a lot of studies and evidence on how beneficial fiber is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, not everyone consumes the daily recommended amount. This means that people are not consuming enough legumes, vegetables, nuts, fruits, and whole grain foods. “Current recommendations for dietary fiber intake are related to age, gender, and energy intake, and the general recommendation for adequate intake (AI) is 14

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