What is Fiber?

Fiber is a part of plants. It is generally agreed that it is indigestible and can be water soluble or insoluble. It is also agreed we need plenty more than we usually get from our diet. The average American get about 15 grams per day. Our need as adults is about 25-35 grams per day.

Why don’t we get enough?

We eat fruit roll-ups instead of fruit. We eat processed cereal with lots of sugar instead of AllBran or oatmeal. If we do eat oatmeal we eat the instant flavored form and not 3/4 cup cooked of the slow-cooked variety. We eat our foods highly processed and not in their natural state and we don’t eat the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables.

What does fiber do?

It has multiple functions in our body. It keeps the stool soft so that the time from eating to elimination is short. This is called transit time and should be a day or two. I have had to determine the transit time of patients with severe constipation and have determined that in some people it is 5-7 days. Much too long.

Fiber keeps us from absorbing too much cholesterol which helps reduce our risk of heart disease. It makes it easier to eliminate waste so it reduces our risk of hemorrhoids, tears in our anal canal from large hard stools, and may therefore reduce our risk of colon cancer and excessive pouches on the large bowel wall called diverticuli (diver tic U lie).

How much fiber do I need?

Most of us need fewer calories and more fiber in our diet. If you want an estimate of the amount of fiber needed in your diet you can use a fiber calculator. Here is one provided online by the University of Maryland. I found that for the minimum calories I need per day (1500) I need to consume 27 grams of fiber per day.

What foods are high in fiber?

Fruits, vegetables and grains in their natural state are loaded with fiber. To get enough we need to eat 14 ounces of fruits and vegetables per day. That is 8-9 cups and actually may not be enough. If you are on a “diet” intended to help you loose weight consider this - you can’t eat too much fresh fruits and vegetables. If you limit meat to two small servings (size of the palm of your hand or of a deck of cards) per day and eat you food unprocessed, you can eat as much fresh or fresh frozen fruits and vegetables as you want each day. This means without syrup or dressing or any additive like fat on the vegetables.

I can’t do that!

Begin small. Eat a medium apple each day - that is about 4 grams of fiber. Eat a medium carrot - another 4 grams. Eat some form of dry beans like great northern, kidney or pinto beans (with a Beano tablet if you need one) since a half cup serving has 6-9 grams of fiber. Add a 1/4 cup of Allbran cereal to your usual cold breakfast cereal each morning to increase the fiber content. Make lots of small steps - a few each week until you are eating enough.

How will I know if I eat enough?

For some of you this may be TMI but here goes. Your solid waste product should be small in diameter and soft enough that it forms curls and s-curves in the toilet. OK, OK, I told you it was TMI but you wanted to know. At least I am not like that Doctor on Oprah - what’s his name - he brings examples onto the show. (That’s what my patients tell me, I haven’t seen him but my older patients have given me the “details” when we discuss this subject.

Good luck! And may your solid waste products be soft and conform to the shape of the container they are deposited in. That is a good thing to wish, just not a conventional wish. Just imagine until next Wednesday that I am wishing you don’t get heart disease. That is a more pleasant image.

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