Tasty25′s Nutrition Tip #7: The “F” Word; Fiber!

Hi Tasty25ers! Yea, that’s right, we’ve got Nutrition Tip #7 for you today! To follow up on our Vitamin D article, this Nutrition Tip will focus on the “F” word. And no, not the expletive… we’re talking about FIBER!

Fiber is nature’s broom! But let’s be honest, fiber doesn’t always have a good rep; however we want the members of our food conscious community to give fiber another chance. Fiber’s benefits outweigh its reputation; it’s not digested in the body, it’s passed through our system. As fiber passes through our bodies, properties of certain fibers delay gastric emptying, which means it causes delayed digestion and absorption. This makes us feel fuller for much longer! Having adequate fiber in our diet is a great way to maintain a healthy body weight, amongst other positives. Fiber also has many protective benefits as well, including protection against diabetes, diverticular disease, heart disease, and even colon cancer.

The National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine (IOM) sets the total fiber intake for adults 19-50 years at 38g/day for men and 25 g/day for women.  It is reduced to 30g/day and 21g/day for men and women, respectively, past the age of 50. And what do you know, fiber is naturally present in the majority of fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts that we eat! The table below lists some high fiber foods; learn and live all of this great information!

*USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24

Thy Ho-Pham is Tasty25 Magazine’s nutrition expert & nutritional advisor. Thy has a Masters Degree in Nutrition from the prestigious Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH.