When was the last time you thought “I need to increase my fiber intake?” We are guessing, it was never, in a long time. Well, there are a lot of benefits of fibers and you must add it in your daily and weekly diet.
There are a lot of advantages of eating fibers and is backed by number of studies done all over the world. Without further ado let us take a look at the Benefits of Eating Fiber that you get when you add in your diet. Additionally, stay until the end, we have a list of 15 food items that contribute to your daily requirements of fiber intake.
10 Health Benefits of Eating Fiber in Your Diet
1. Fiber Helps You Lose Those Extra Kilograms
Did you know that a high fiber diet for weight loss in a must. Even if you increase your daily intake and do nothing else, you will shed some kilograms. There have been cases wherein the nutritionists added 30 grams of fiber in the daily diet of people and they ended up losing considerable weight without any other dietary restrictions. This was backed by research conducted by the Annals of Internal Medicine.
What may surprise you, even more, is that in the same research, people lost as much weight as people who were put on a much strict diet which included restrictions on intake of fats, salt, sugar, carbs, and increasing the intake of vegetables, fruits, and even whole grains.
The main benefit of eating fiber is that it fills you faster which keeps you filled for a longer period of time, for instance, you can eat half an apple and feel filled, but not by 3 chappatis (rotis). In addition, according to other research, people who doubled the recommended dose of fiber in their diet lost between 5 kgs – 6 kgs over the span of a year.
Registered Dietician, Tanya Zuckerbrot says “Fiber binds with fat and sugar molecules as they travel through your digestive tract, which reduces the number of calories you actually get”.
2. Fiber Helps You Maintain Your Body Weight
Adding fiber to your diet not only help you lose weight but maintain the body weight. According to the research undertaken by the Medical University of South Carolina, people who get more fiber from their diet are more likely to be slimmer overall, when people who are obese got around 1 gram of fiber fewer per day when compared to people who weighted normal.
You may also know or have heard of scientist and chemists using animals like monkeys and mice to test medicines and conduct some results, so the Georgia State University, in a study, found that mice who were on a diet without fiber – especially solubale fiber – gained weight and even had additional fat when compared to mice who were not restricted of fiber. What is even more surprising is that when the mice who were on fiber diet did not gain fat even when provided with a diet full of fats.
3. Fiber May Reduce Your Susceptibility Of Getting Certain Cancers
According to a research paper published by the Annals of Oncology with every 10 grams of Fiber a person adds to its diet, the risk of getting colorectal cancer decreased by 10%, even more so, there was a 5% reduction in risk of breast cancer as well.
Additionally, according to the research conducted with the help of 4 lakh participants, it was found that people with the highest intake of fibers had the least chances of growing colorectal cancer. People eating processed or red meat had the highest possibility. This particular study lasted for 5 years.
Moreover, fiber rich food items are also rich in both phytochemicals and antioxidants which even more so adds to the chances of you not catching cancers.
4. Fiber Help You Have Healthy Gut Microbiota
At any given point our body has 40 trillion bacterias with most of them in our intestines. The gut bacteria are good for you as they produce short chain fatty acids. These gut bacteria feed off of the fiber present and have been fermenting in our Gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The short chain fatty acid produced by these gut bacterias have a number of benefits which includes, but not limited to, decreasing systematic swelling. This inflammation is said to be directly connected with obesity, and many long-term health issues.
To increase the levels of these short chain fatty acids in your body you should add Mediterranean diet full of fiber, according to an Italian research study. In addition, Professor (Dr.) Kelly Swanson, University of Illinois said, “you can start to see the changes in gut bacteria within just a few days”. However, to get this benefit you must keep your daily diet filled with fibers as any decrease in fiber intake can cause these bacterias to cause swelling in the body.
5. Fiber Can Help In Detoxication Of Body In An All-Natural Way
Remember Tanya Zuckerbrot from the point above? Well, she said that “Soluble fiber soaks up potentially harmful compounds, such as excess estrogen and unhealthy fats before they can be absorbed by the body”. Fibers are an all natural way to detoxify your body as it naturally shrubs and helps in the removal of toxins from the GI tract.
Zuckerbrot added that as insoluble fibers help things move faster in your body, there is less time that pesticides, BPA (Bisphenol A), and mercury stay in your body, as a result, there are fewer chances of those chemicals to cause any harm to you.
Soluble fibers, when being digested, turns into a gel-like substance which slows its movement in the gut.
6. Fiber Help Decrease Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Did you know that after analysing close too 20 different studies it was found that people who included more fiber in their diet (in excess of 26 grams a day) had 18% less chances of catching diseases than those people who ate fewer fibers (less than 19 grams in a day).
In addition, fibers’ dual benefits of keeping blood sugar levels in check and help in maintaining a healthier weight helps keep off the risk of diabetes according to many researchers.
7. Fiber Help You Live Longer!
According to research published by BMC Medicine and shared by Harvard University, it was seen that people who ate fiber rich cereals had 19% less chance of dying from causes like Cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Infections, Diabetes, and even any other/ unknown causes.
The study was conducted with the help of 3,67,442 participants. Check the study here: Consumption of whole grains and cereal fiber and total and cause-specific mortality: prospective analysis of 367,442 individuals
8. Fiber Helps Reduce Chances Of Heart Disease
According to a review report of 22 research papers published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), it was found that with the increase of just 7 grams of fibers on a minimum daily requirement, the chances of heart diseases decreases by 9%.
Additionally, it is said that fibers’ have the ability to remove the cholesterol from your body and exude it out of the system before they start blockage in the blood vessels. Advantages of eating fibers are many.
9. Fiber Results in Healthier Bones
Food items like Asparagus, Wheat, Oats and, Soybeans are rich in soluble fibers prebiotics which helps in an increase in absorption of minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and even zinc. These minerals help in maintaining bone density, thus keeping your bones healthier.
10. Fiber Help In Bowel Movement
According to Tanya Zuckerbrot, one of the most common GI tract complaints is constipation, remember Piku? How Amitabh Bachchan is always constipated. That may be funny enough on screen, but in real life, it is no fun. One of the main Health benefits of fiber in your diet is that it makes the stool soft and bulkier which only helps in the speedy passage from the body.
So next time you feel constipated, you know what you lack, but now the question arises where to get you the daily dose of Fiber, don’t fret, we have got your back!
Now Let us Take a Look at 15 Food Items That Have High Fiber Content
According to the United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA), the daily recommended dose of fiber is as follows:
| S. No. | Gender | Age | Daily Fiber Intake |
| 1 | Male | Up to 50 years | 38 grams |
| 2 | Female | 25 grams | |
| 3 | Male | Above 50 years | 30 grams |
| 4 | Female | 21 grams |
Now that we know what are the Top health benefits of fiber food, let us take a look at the 15 food items that you can add to your daily/ weekly diet plan to make sure you get all the advantages of fiber.
1. Apples
Apples are a good source of fiber, and a medium sized apple can provide almost 15% of daily fiber requirement to a person. Plus, the saying is as old as any other “An Apple a day, keeps the doctor away” so just have an apple.
2. Green Peas
Consuming just 160 grams of green peas not only give 9 grams of fiber but many other nutrients like Vitamine A, K, and C, and 9 grams of proteins as well. That is almost 24% of daily fiber requirement for men and 36% for women making them a must-add in your daily/ weekly diet.
Also Read: 10 health vegetables article
3. Oats
Whole grain oats are not only rich in fiber but are also gluten-free. In a cup of oats – 80 grams – you can get 7.5 grams of fiber that’s 20% daily requirement of men and 30% for women. They are also rich in minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins.
4. Chickpeas
Chickpeas are too considered as one of the best sources of fiber, in one cup – 160 grams – you can get 12.5 grams of fiber, along with various minerals, and vitamins.
5. Cauliflowers
Both Cauliflower and Broccoli have a high content of fiber in it. Both of these vegetables give 2 grams of fiber per 100 grams serving. Broccoli contains Vitamin B1, B2, B3, and even B6 along with potassium, zinc, iron, and magnesium. Talking about Cauliflower, they are rich in vitamin K, C, and even B6, along with potassium, manganese, and magnesium.
6. Raspberries
100 grams of Raspberries contain 7 grams of fiber which makes it top the list of fruits with most fiber content. In addition to the fiber, they are also rich in manganese and vitamin C.
7. Avocados
Just like Raspberries, 100 grams of Avocados contain 7 grams of fiber, plus they are high in good fats – monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats – which helps keep heart problems aways as they reduce cholesterol.
8. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes are both rich in minerals, and vitamins and at the same time low in calories. 100 grams of Sweet Potatoes contain 3 grams of fibers 337 milligrams of potassium and only 0.1 grams of total fat.
9. Black Beans
Black Beans have one of the highest quantity of fibers, with 7.5 grams of fibers per 100 grams. In addition to fiber, they are also rich in vital minerals and proteins which are essential for the human body.
10. Lentils
Lentils are very high in minerals and proteins. They are considered excellent sources of vitamin C, B6, iron, magnesium, potassium, and even zinc. Per 100 grams you can get up to 8 grams of fiber that is 21% of the daily requirement for men and 32% for women.
11. Oranges
Oranges are a very rich source of vitamin C, so much so that 100 grams of Orange can fulfill around 90% of your daily requirement. It is also rich in fiber, as 100 grams contains around 2.5 grams.
12. Artichokes
Known as Haathee Chak in Hindi, may not be accessible very easily, but it one of the healthiest vegetables. In 100 grams there are only 47 calories, and contains a high amount of vitamin C, B6, calcium, potassium, magnesium. Moreover, they also have 5 grams of fiber per 100 grams serving.
13. Almonds
When one talks about food items with most fiber content, Almonds just cannot be missed as per 100 grams of almonds one can get up to 13 grams of fiber, that is 34% daily requirement for men and 52% for women. In addition to being rich in fiber, they are also rich in iron, calcium, potassium, and almost 600 calories.
14. Brown Rice
Apart from a staple of people who want to remain healthy and people who are into bodybuilding, Brown Rice should be a staple in every kitchen. Brown Rice not only gluten free but also rich in magnesium, vitamin B6, iron, and even potassium. Apart from this, you can get up to 1.8 grams of fiber per 100 grams of brown rice.
15. Walnuts
One can get loads of minerals, proteins from walnuts, so much so that 100 grams of Walnuts contain a high quantity of magnesium, calcium, iron, vitamin B6 and C. In addition to this, it has 7 grams of fiber per 100 grams of serving.
Now that you know the list of health benefits of eating fibers, and which foods are a rich source of fiber, you can plan your daily/ weekly diet accordingly. Did you know about the benefits of fibers and have you been eating some of these food items already? Do tell you down in comments, and share your feedback with us.
