Fiber-think of a bowl of lentil soup, with pumpernickel bread on the side, for example. Great tasting, filling, and, possibly, life-enhancing! Or my favorite lunch, two peanut butter and apricot preserve sandwiches on whole-grain bread, with banana slices and sprinkled with wheat germ.
A February study in the Archives of Internal Medicine of 388,000 adults, ages 50-71, found a link between high-fiber diets and lower risks of death, not only from heart disease, but from infectious and respiratory illnesses as well.
The study was conducted by the National Institutes of Health and AARP, and tracked participants for nine years after the original 1995 or 1996 questionnaire. The people who ate the highest amount of fiber were 22% less likely to die from any cause than those that ate the least.
For men, high fiber intake also reduced the chance of getting cancer. The researchers theorize that men are more likely to die from cancers related to diet, so high fiber intake usually precluded a better overall dietary lifestyle.
The daily recommendation fo fiber is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men, or 14 grams per 1000 calories consumed. To put it in context, a slice of whole wheat bread contains two to four grams of fiber.
Fiber seemed especially helpful in preventing diabetes and heart disease, lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, inflammation, and blood sugar levels. It is also theorized that fiber binds to toxins and moves them out of the body quickly. Fiber also makes you feel full, which helps in weight control.
In most societies, food choices are more limited, and fiber may naturally play a larger role in
the diet. In America, we have a choice between everything, good and bad. It seems like you can't go wrong in choosing the high fiber option!
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