Foods Rich in Fiber (Includes a List)

Foods rich in fiber are mainly fruits, vegetables, grains, cereals such as brown rice, oats and corn. Adequate consumption of fiber in the diet is important to maintain intestinal health and prevent diseases such as constipation, to regulate blood glucose levels fighting both diabetes and obesity.

The benefits of fiber for health are:

• Fight constipation , as they accelerate intestinal transit and increase the volume of feces;
• It helps to lose weight , because they increase the feeling of satiety;
• It controls diabetes , as they help lower blood sugar levels;
• It helps lower cholesterol and triglycerides , because they reduce the absorption of fats in the intestine;
• Maintains the health of the intestinal flora,  as they serve as food for the beneficial bacteria that are naturally present in the intestine;

To obtain all these benefits it is necessary to consume fiber-rich foods daily in all main meals and snacks, their daily recommendation is 25 to 30 g.

It is important to remember that when a high fiber intake is ingested, water intake should be increased, since water hydrates the fiber and lubricates the intestine, facilitating the passage of feces, improving constipation. If you can't drink 2 liters of water a day,

List of High-Fiber Foods

The table below shows foods rich in fiber and how much they contain:

Types of Food Fibers

Food fibers can be classified as soluble or insoluble, the main differences between them being that soluble fiber dissolves in water while insoluble does not. Each of them has its own benefits, these are:

Soluble Fibers

So the soluble fibers dissolve in water and form a gel, this means that they remain longer in the stomach and small intestine thus increasing the feeling of satiety. These fibers also bind to the fat and sugar molecules in the intestine from food, helping to reduce cholesterol and control blood sugar.

Some examples of soluble fibers are: fruits, vegetables, legumes and foods that contain oats, wheat germ, barley and rye. They help lower cholesterol, are fermented by good gut bacteria and help maintain minerals.

Insoluble Fibers

Insoluble fibers are not diluted in water and therefore reach the large intestine accelerating intestinal transit because they increase the volume of feces acting as a natural laxative, so they prevent problems such as constipation, hemorrhoids and inflammation at the intestinal level.

They are found mainly in whole grain cereals and in their integral derivatives found mainly in shell almonds, walnuts, raisins, avocado, pear and apple with peel and tangerine.

Daily Fiber Recommendation

The daily fiber recommendation varies according to age and sex, however, below is an average between men and women according to age:

• Children from 1 to 3 years: 14 g per day;
• Children from 4 to 8 years: 18 g per day;
• Children from 9 to 13 years: 24 g per day
• Adolescents from 14 to 18 years: 28 g per day;
• Adults : 25-30 g per day.

One tip to increase the consumption of fiber in the diet is to eat more raw and husk foods, especially fruits and vegetables, avoiding refined foods such as cornmeal, wheat flour and white rice.