How Does a High Fiber Diet Help Your Health?

Copyright 2006 Douglas Alp
For many years now we have been hearing about how a high fiber diet has many health benefits. Some people do follow high fiber diets and some do not. So what is it about fiber that is so beneficial to your health and what does it do within your body to promote good health.
Well firstly fiber is a necessity for an effective digestive system and for the elimination of waste products. Since fiber also known as roughage cannot be digested it provides a coarseness which cleans out your internal track.
Most people do not get enough fiber and this could be the reason for many diseases and for the problem of obesity in the world. So what is enough fiber? Well through extensive research scientist have determine on an average a person should consume approximately 30 gram of fiber per day. Do you know how much fiber is in your diet? Well if you are a typical person you probably consume approximately 15 grams of fiber per day. Now it does vary from diet to diet and culture to culture but if your diet is not one that consist of 5 to 6 serving of fruits and vegetables per day and if you are not consuming whole wheat’s and whole grain cereals and breads chances are you are not getting the recommended daily amount of fiber in your diet.
So what’s the big deal? We have all heard this for years to consume more fiber and we are all still living right? Yes, this is true but are you as healthy as you could be? Are you really consuming the diet that will actually keep you healthy for years to come, or will the lack of fiber in your diet contribute and maybe it’s currently contribution to a level of health that is below optimal levels.
So what is fiber anyway? Well as stated above fiber is the roughage of parts of the food that cannot be fully digested. There are two type of fiber soluble and insoluble fiber. Each type of fiber plays a certain roll in your digestive track and aids your body in different ways.
Soluble fiber is the type of fiber that dissolves in water. As it dissolves it forms a jelly like substance creating bulk. When this bulk or jelly is in the small intestine it has the qualities that will absorb the cholesterol from your digestive track and eliminate it from your body through your waste. Since this cholesterol is pulled out of the digestive track the body then pulls cholesterol from the blood system regulating the digestive system and lowering your cholesterol level in your blood stream. Soluble fiber can reduce your serum cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) by as much as 15%. You can consume your soluble fibers through oat bran, apples, citrus, pears , beans and psyllum
On the other hand insoluble fiber cannot be dissolved in water and is actually more of the bulk that move through and cleanses your digestive tract. Insoluble fiber purpose is to treat constipation and also assist in slow down the absorption of sugar into your bloody stream. This can help people who suffer with diabetes by regulating the sugar levels and preventing spikes of sugar overload. Insoluble fiber can be found in such foods as wheat bran, cabbage and root vegetables.
Other benefit of a high fiber diet is weight management. Typically you will consume less calories when eating a high fiber diet because the fiber will make you feel fuller quicker and will give you body the feeling of feeling full for a longer period of time. It also helps in faster elimination of waste which can reduce weight. Fiber also help to modify blood glucose levels, reduces or cures constipation, alleviates hemorrhoids and may reduced the risk of cancer.
So the benefits of a high fiber diet can not only help you feel better and avoid diseases but fiber can also help you look better by reducing weight and eliminating waste faster. So eat you green leafy vegetable, consume your fresh and dried fruits and read labels and observe the amounts of insoluble and soluble fiber to aid your body in staying healthy.