high fiber

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• Bananas, 3 grams - medium 8" long
• Beans, 6-10 grams - baked beans, black beans, great northern beans, kidney beans, garbanzos, pinto beans, white beans
• Berries, 4-5 grams - blackberries, raspberries
• Bran Cereals, 5-10 grams - All-Bran, Bran Buds, 100% Bran, Raisin Bran
• Bread, 4-7 grams - 2 slices whole wheat, pumpernickel, seven-grain
• Broccoli, 4-5 grams
• Brussels Sprouts, 2 grams
• Carrots, 3-4 grams
• Dried Figs, 10 grams - 3 figs
• Fruit, 4 grams - medium apple, medium pear
• Green Beans, 2 grams - broad beans, pole beans, snap beans
• Greens, 4-6 grams - beet greens, collards, kale, spinach, turnip greens
• Lentils, 6 grams
• Lima Beans - 4-6 grams
• Peas, 7-9 grams - black-eyed peas, green peas
• Potatoes, 4-5 grams - medium baked Idaho or sweet potato
• Sweet Corn, 5 grams
Using the list of high fiber foods and including more of the foods from the list can help increase daily fiber consumption so important for normal bowel function. Also important is that adequate liquid be present for good bowel function. Each fiber particle will actually absorb liquid in the colon and help facilitate the desired regular movement along in the bowels.
If you make changes to your diet to include more of the foods from the list of high fiber foods and still are not having a daily bowel movement, you may wish to add a fiber supplement. The best fiber supplements are rice bran or psyllium made from ground-up psyllium seeds. Don't expect to notice better bowel movements overnight as it may take several weeks for your body and elimination system to improve. The payoff will be that wastes are eliminated along with the toxins from your system instead of your body reabsorbing them.
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Fiber crop

Fiber crops are field crops grown for their fibers, which are used to make paper, cloth, or rope. These crops are generally harvestable after a single growing season, as opposed to trees which are typically grown for many years before being harvested for wood pulp fiber. In specific circumstances, fiber crops can be superior to wood pulp fiber in terms of technical performance, environmental impact or cost.
Botanically, the fibers havested from many of these plants are bast fibers; the fibers come from the phloem tissue of the plant. The other fiber crop fibers are seed padding, leaf fiber, or other parts of the plant.
Fiber crops include:
Bast fibers (Stem-skin fibres)
Jute (widely used, cheapest fibre after cotton)
Flax (which produces linen)
Ramie
Hemp
Kenaf
Abacá
Nettles
Other fibers (Leaf, fruit, and other fibers)
Cotton
Bamboo
Esparto
Papaya
Umbrella_Plant
Coir (fiber from the coconut shell)
Sisal (Often termed agave)
Uses
[edit] Soluble and insoluble fibers
Sources of dietary fiber are usually divided according to whether they are water-soluble or not. Both types of fiber are present in all plant foods, with varying degrees of each according to a plant’s characteristics. Insoluble fiber possesses passive water-attracting properties that help to increase bulk, soften stool and shorten transit time through the intestinal tract. Soluble fiber undergoes active metabolic processing via fermentation, yielding end-products with broad, significant health effects.
Consider a plum (or prune), with thick skin covering a juicy pulp. The plum skin is an example of an insoluble fiber source, whereas soluble fiber sources are inside the pulp. Other sources of insoluble fiber include whole wheat, wheat and corn bran, flax seed lignans and vegetables such as carrots, celery, green beans and potato skins.
Chía seeds have an excellent balance of high molecular-weight soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.
One of the most versatile sources of dietary fiber is the husk (hull) of seeds from psyllium grain (Plantago ovata), a fiber source with clinically demonstrated properties of lowering blood cholesterol when chronically included in human diets. Psyllium seed husk is 34% insoluble fiber and 66% soluble fiber, providing an optimal division of both types that make it a valuable food additive.
[edit] Fermentable fiber
The American Association of Cereal Chemists defined soluble fiber this way: “the edible parts of plants or similar carbohydrates resistant to digestion and absorption in the human small intestine with complete or partial fermentation in the large intestine”.
There are several key words in that statement that invite analysis and comment for considering fermentable fiber.
edible parts of plants — indicates that all parts of a plant we eat — skin, pulp, seeds, stems, leaves, roots — contain fiber. Both insoluble and soluble sources are in those plant components.
carbohydrates — complex carbohydrates, such as long-chained sugars also called starch, oligosaccharides or polysaccharides, are excellent sources of fiber.
resistant to digestion and absorption in the human small intestine — foods providing nutrients are digested by enzymes and acids in the stomach and small intestine where the nutrients are released then absorbed through the intestinal wall for transport via the blood throughout the body. A food resistant to this process is undigested, as insoluble and soluble fibers are. They pass to the large intestine only affected by their absorption of water (insoluble fiber) or dissolution in water (soluble fiber).
complete or partial fermentation in the large intestine — the large intestine is comprised mainly of a segment called the colon within which additional nutrient absorption occurs through the process of fermentation. Fermentation occurs by the action of colonic bacteria on the food mass, producing gases and short-chain fatty acids. It is these short-chain fatty acids — butyric, ethanoic (acetic), propionic, and valeric acids — that have such significant health properties.
[edit] Short-chain fatty acids
Foods High in Fiber
List of High Fiber Foods
The best way to consume a high fiber diet is to choose to eat whole-grain breads, high fiber cereal, dried beans, and 7 servings of vegetables and fruits daily. Slowly add dietary fiber to your diet. Caution: Excessive sudden increase may lead to gas, bloating, or diarrhea.Grain and Whole Wheat Products Bagels, Bran Buds, Brown Rice, Buds, Cereals, Granola, Muffins, PastaFruitsDried fruits (apricots, dates, prunes, raisins) Apples, Avocado, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Mango,Oranges, Peach, Pears, Raspberries, Strawberries
VegetablesBroccoli, Beans, Carrots, Cauliflower, Corn, Green Beans, Green Peas, Greens, Legumes, Peas, Potato with Skin,
NutsAlmonds, Peanuts
BeansBlack, Chick, Kidney, Lentils, Lima, Pinto, Soy


Short-chain fatty acids are used by the intestinal mucosa or absorbed through the colonic wall into the portal circulation (supplying the liver) that transports them into the general circulation. Particularly butyric acid has extensive physiological actions that promote health effects, among which are these:
Stabilize blood glucose levels by acting on pancreatic insulin release and liver control of glycogen breakdown
Suppress cholesterol synthesis by the liver and reduce blood levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides responsible for atherosclerosis
Lower colonic pH (i.e., raise the acidity levels in the colon) which protects the colon lining from cancer polyp formation and increases absorption of minerals
Stimulate production of T helper cells, antibodies, leukocytes, splenocyte cytokines and lymph mechanisms having crucial roles in immune protection
Increase proliferation of colonic bacteria beneficial for intestinal health — bifidobacteria and lactobacilli (serving a probiotic function)
Improve barrier properties of the colonic mucosal layer, inhibiting inflammatory and adhesion irritants
Summarizing these effects, fermentable fibers yield the important short-chain fatty acids that affect blood glucose and lipid levels, improve the colonic environment and regulate immune responses.
[edit] Regulatory guidance on fiber products
On average, North Americans consume less than 50% of the dietary fiber levels required for good health. In the preferred food choices of today's youth, this value may be as low as 20%, a factor considered by experts as contributing to the obesity crisis seen in many first-world western countries[1][[2][[3].
Recognizing the growing scientific evidence for physiological benefits of increased fiber intake, regulatory agencies such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have given approvals to food products making health claims for fiber.
In clinical trials to date, these fiber sources were shown to significantly reduce blood cholesterol levels -- so are important to general cardiovascular health[4] -- and to lower risk of onset for some types of cancer[5].
Soluble (fermentable) fiber sources gaining FDA approval are
Psyllium seed husk (7 grams per day)
Beta-glucan from oat bran, whole oats, oatrim or rolled oats (3 grams per day)
Beta-glucan from whole grain or dry-milled barley (3 grams per day)
Other examples of fermentable fiber sources (from plant foods or biotechnology) used in functional foods and supplements include inulin, fructans, xanthan gum, cellulose, guar gum, fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and oligo- or polysaccharides.
Consistent intake of fermentable fiber through foods like berries and other fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, seeds and nuts is now known to reduce risk of some of the world’s most prevalent diseases — obesity, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and numerous gastrointestinal disorders. In this last category are constipation, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, hemorrhoids, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, and colon cancer--all disorders of the intestinal tract where fermentable fiber can provide healthful benefits.
Insufficient fiber in the diet can complicate defecation [6]. Low-fiber feces are dehydrated and hardened, making them difficult to evacuate -- defining constipation[7] and possibly leading to development of hemorrhoids[8].
Although many researchers believe that dietary fiber intake reduces risk of colon cancer, one study, conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Medicine of over 88,000 women, did not show a statistically significant relationship between higher fiber consumption and lower rates of colorectal cancer or adenomas.[1]
[edit] Guidelines on fiber intake
The American Dietetic Association (ADA) recommends a minimum of 20-35 g/day for a healthy adult depending on calorie intake (e.g., a 2000 cal/8400 kJ diet should include 25 g of fiber per day). The ADA's recommendation for a child was that intake should equal age in years plus 5 g/day for children (e.g., a 4 year old should consume 9 g/day). No guidelines have yet been established for the elderly or very ill. Patients with current constipation, vomiting, and abdominal pain should see a physician. Certain bulking agents are not commonly recommended with the prescription of opioids because the slow transit time mixed with larger stools may lead to severe constipation, pain, or obstruction.
The British Nutrition Foundation has recommended a minimum fiber intake of 12-24 g/day for healthy adults. [9]
[edit] Sources of fiber
Current recommendations from the United States National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, suggest that adults consume 20-35 grams of dietary fiber per day, but the average American's daily intake of dietary fiber is only 12-18 grams [10][11]. The American Dietetic Association recommends consuming a variety of fiber-rich foods, such as
Soluble fiber found in varying quantities in all plant foods, including:
legumes (peas, soybeans, and other beans)
oats, rye, chia, and barley
some fruits (particularly apples, bananas), and berries
certain vegetables, such as broccoli and carrots
root vegetables, such as potatoes, yams and onions (skins of these vegetables are sources of insoluble fiber)
psyllium seed husk (a mucilage soluble fiber).
Legumes also typically contain shorter-chain carbohydrates indigestible by the human digestive tract but are metabolized by bacterial fermentation in the large intestine (colon), yielding short-chain fatty acids and gases (flatulence).
Sources of insoluble fiber include
whole grain foods
bran
nuts and seeds
vegetables such as green beans, cauliflower, zucchini, celery
the skins of some fruits, including tomatoes
According to the Micronutrient Center of the Linus Pauling Institute, the five most fiber-rich plant foods are legumes (15-19 grams of fiber per US cup serving, including several types of beans, lentils and peas), wheat bran (17 grams per cup), prunes (12), Asian pear (10) and quinoa (9)[12].
Remarkable among plant foods, the Amazonian palmberry, açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) has been analyzed by two research groups reporting its content of dietary fiber is 25-44% of total fruit mass[13] [14] [15].
[edit] Fiber supplements
There are many types of soluble fiber supplements available to consumers for nutritional purposes, for the treatment of various gastrointestinal disorders, and for such possible health benefits as lowering cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of colon cancer, or losing weight. Soluble fiber supplements are particularly beneficial for Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms such as diarrhea and/or constipation, and abdominal pain (Van Vorous, 2000).[verification needed] Prebiotic soluble fiber supplements (acacia, FOS, inulin) are a promising area of treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (Seidner, 2005)[verification needed] such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and Clostridium difficile (May, 1994),[verification needed] due to the short-chain fatty acids they produce, and subsequent anti-inflammatory actions upon the bowel.
[edit] Psyllium husk
Psyllium seed husk (best known under the brand Metamucil), may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels, and is known to help alleviate the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, though it often causes uncomfortable bloating. Psyllium husk is often labeled a "bulk-forming laxative", which can be misleading, because it can also help diarrhoea and it does not cause bowel dependency. Konsyl (Konsyl Pharmaceuticals) is another brand. While both Metamucil and Konsyl are both psyllium husk commercial products, it should be noted that Metamucil contains 3.4g of psyllium (per teaspoon or tablespoon and konsyl contains 6g of psyllium per teaspoon. The average amount of fiber consumed by Americans is 10-12 g daily while we should ingest 25-35g per day for a healthy diet.
The FDA allows foods containing 0.75 g of psyllium husk fiber or 1.7 g of oat fiber to claim that they may be able to reduce the risk of heart disease (J Am Diet Assoc 2002).
[edit] Methylcellulose
Methylcellulose is created from the cell wall of plants. Sold as a powder, it is indigestible and doesn't have calories that humans can use. Citrucel (by GlaxoSmithKline), and Celevac (Shire) are popular brands of methylcellulose.
[edit] Polycarbophil
[edit] Vegetable gums
Vegetable gum fiber supplements are relatively new to the market. Often sold as a powder, vegetable gum fibers dissolve easily with no aftertaste. They are effective for the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Parisi, 2002).[verification needed] Examples of vegetable gum fibers are guar gum (brand name Benefiber, but reformulated to wheat dextrin in 2006 [16]) and acacia gum (brand name Heather's Tummy Fiber).
[edit] Misconceptions
Despite what many people claim, fiber does not bind to minerals and vitamins and therefore does not restrict its absorption. The food's phytate content is mainly responsible for the bioavailability of certain minerals and vitamins like vitamin c and magnesium.[17]
[edit] See also
Prebiotic — indigestible matter which encourages growth of gut flora
Low residue diet
Resistant starch
[edit] Further reading
Marlett JA. Dietary fiber and cardiovascular disease. In: Cho SS, Dreher ML, eds. Handbook of Dietary Fiber. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc; 2001:17-30.
US Food and Drug Administration. Health Claims: Soluble fiber from certain foods and risk of heart diseases. Code of Federal Regulations. 2001;21:101.81.
Eastwood MA, Brydon WG. Tadesse K. Effect of fiber on colon function. In: Spiller GA, Kay RM, eds. Medical Aspects of Dietary Fiber. New York, NY: Plenum Press; 1980:1-26.
Prynne CJ, Southgate DAT. The effects of a supplement of dietary fibre on faecal excretion by human subjects. Br J Nutr. 1979;41:495-503.
^ Fuchs, CS, et al. "Dietary fiber and the risk of colorectal cancer and adenoma in women." New England Journal of Medicine, 21 Jan 1999:223-4.
Fiber, Harvard School of Public Health, http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fiber.html
Fiber Health Claims That Meet Significant Scientific Agreement, US Food and Drug Administration, http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/lab-ssa.html
Fiber 101: Soluble fiber vs. insoluble fiber, HealthCastle.com http://www.healthcastle.com/fiber-solubleinsoluble.shtml
Higgins JA. Resistant starch: metabolic effects and potential health benefits. Journal of AOAC International 87:761-767, 2004.
Tungland BC, Meyer D. Nondigestible oligo- and polysaccharides (dietary fiber): their physiology and role in human health and food. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 1:73-92, 2002.
Parisi, G.C., Zill, M. et. al. High-fiber diet supplementation in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): A multicenter, randomized, open trial comparison between wheat bran diet and partially hydrolyzed guar gum. Digestive diseases and sciences Volume 47 number 8:1697-1704, 2002.