16 Most Amazing High Fiber Food
Despite its popular association with trips to the restroom, fiber is no joke. The benefits of an efficient bowel aside, a high-fiber diet can also reduce the risk of stroke, hypertension , and heart disease . Unfortunately, fiber consumption is currently at an all-time low, with less than three percent of Americans meeting the recommended intake . Why Fiber? Fiber is something the body needs but never actually digests—in fact, it remains more or less the same from plate to toilet. It comes in two varieties, soluble and insoluble, and most plant-based foods contain a mixture of the two. Soluble fiber turns to gel in the stomach and slows digestion , which helps lower cholesterol and blood glucose . Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, remains unchanged all the way to the colon, making waste heavier and softer so it can shimmy through the intestines more easily. Regardless of these differences, neither type of fiber is ever absorbed into the body. Skipping out on a...