BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuHigh-fiber foodsDietary fiber - self-care; Constipation - fiberFiber is a substance found in plants. Dietary fiber, the kind you eat, is found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Your body cannot digest fiber, so it passes through your intestines without being absorbed much. However, fiber still provides many health benefits.FunctionDietary fiber adds bulk to your diet. Because it makes you feel full faster and for longer, it can help you with weight loss efforts or to maintain a healthy weight. For people with diabetes, fiber can play an important role in achieving and maintaining glycemic (blood sugar) control.Dietary fiberFiber is a substance found in plants. Dietary fiber, which is the type of fiber you can eat, is found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. It is an i...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article High fiber diets can also help with both constipation and diarrhea. Fiber also may help lower your cholesterol.What to Expect at HomeSlowly increase the amount of fiber in your diet. If you have bloating or gas, you have probably eaten too much and need to reduce the amount of fiber you eat for a few days. Drink plenty of fluids. When you increase fiber in your diet, you also need to get enough fluids. Not getting enough fluids may make constipation worse instead of better. Ask your health care provider or dietitian how much fluid you should be getting each day.The daily recommended intake (DRI) of fiber for adults 19 to 50 years old is 38 grams a day for men and 25 grams a day for women. To get more fiber into your diet, eat different types of foods, such as:Fruits Vegetables Whole grains Read food labels carefully to see how much fiber they have. Fiber is found naturally in many nutritious foods. If your diet is balanced, you likely do not need a fiber supplement. Whole grain products have more fiber than refined grains. Choose foods that have higher amounts of fiber, such as whole-wheat bread versus white bread and brown rice versus white rice. Try to eat foods that are naturally high in fiber. Fiber supplements and foods artificially fortified with fiber often do not deliver the same health benefits and may worsen bloating and gas.Read food labels carefullyFood labels give you information about the calories, number of servings, and nutrient content of packaged foods. Reading the labels can help you mak...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Vegetables, Legumes, and NutsVegetables are a good source of fiber. Eat more:Lettuce, Swiss chard, raw carrots, and spinach Tender cooked vegetables, such as asparagus, beets, mushrooms, turnips, and pumpkin Baked potatoes and sweet potatoes with skin Broccoli, artichokes, squashes, and string beansYou can also get more fiber by eating:Legumes, such as lentils, black beans, split peas, kidney beans, lima beans, and chickpeas Nuts and seeds, such as sunflower seeds, almonds, pistachios, and pecans FruitsFruits are another good source of fiber. Eat more:Apples and bananas Peaches and pears Tangerines, prunes, and berries Figs and other dried fruits KiwisGrainsGrains are another important source of dietary fiber. Eat more:Hot cereals, such as oatmeal and farina Whole-grain breads Brown rice Quinoa Popcorn High-fiber cereals, such as bran, shredded wheat, and puffed wheat Whole-wheat pastas Bran muffins Open ReferencesReferencesDahl WJ, Stewart ML. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: health implications of dietary fiber. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015;115(11):1861-1870. PMID: 26514720 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26514720/.Murray MT. Nutritional medicine. In: Pizzorno JE, Murray MT, eds. Textbook of Natural Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 44.Thompson M, Noel MB. Nutrition and family medicine. In: Rakel RE, Rakel DP, eds. Textbook of Family Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 37.AllVideoImagesTogSources of fiber - illustration The addition of fiber promotes regularity. Vegetables, fresh or dried fruits, and whole grains are excellent sources of fiber. To reap the benefits of fiber, it is very important to drink plenty of fluids.Sources of fiberillustrationSources of fiber - illustration The addition of fiber promotes regularity. Vegetables, fresh or dried fruits, and whole grains are excellent sources of fiber. To reap the benefits of fiber, it is very important to drink plenty of fluids.Sources of fiberillustrationSelf Care High-fiber foodsLow-fiber dietDiet-busting foodsManaging your weight with healthy eating Low FODMAP dietCounting carbohydratesConstipation - self-careLearn about gluten-free dietsUnderstanding the DASH dietHow to read food labelsRelated Information Diverticulitis(Condition)Fiber(Nutrition)Constipation in infants and children(Symptoms)How to read food labels(Self-Care)Constipation - self-care(Self-Care)Diverticulitis and diverticulosis – discharge(Discharge)Diverticulitis - what to ask your doctor (Doctor Questions)Constipation - what to ask your doctor(Doctor Questions) Review Date: 7/30/2022 Reviewed By: Stefania Manetti, RD/N, CDCES, RYT200, My Vita Sana LLC - Nourish and heal through food, San Jose, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
High-fiber foodsDietary fiber - self-care; Constipation - fiberFiber is a substance found in plants. Dietary fiber, the kind you eat, is found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Your body cannot digest fiber, so it passes through your intestines without being absorbed much. However, fiber still provides many health benefits.FunctionDietary fiber adds bulk to your diet. Because it makes you feel full faster and for longer, it can help you with weight loss efforts or to maintain a healthy weight. For people with diabetes, fiber can play an important role in achieving and maintaining glycemic (blood sugar) control.Dietary fiberFiber is a substance found in plants. Dietary fiber, which is the type of fiber you can eat, is found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. It is an i...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article High fiber diets can also help with both constipation and diarrhea. Fiber also may help lower your cholesterol.What to Expect at HomeSlowly increase the amount of fiber in your diet. If you have bloating or gas, you have probably eaten too much and need to reduce the amount of fiber you eat for a few days. Drink plenty of fluids. When you increase fiber in your diet, you also need to get enough fluids. Not getting enough fluids may make constipation worse instead of better. Ask your health care provider or dietitian how much fluid you should be getting each day.The daily recommended intake (DRI) of fiber for adults 19 to 50 years old is 38 grams a day for men and 25 grams a day for women. To get more fiber into your diet, eat different types of foods, such as:Fruits Vegetables Whole grains Read food labels carefully to see how much fiber they have. Fiber is found naturally in many nutritious foods. If your diet is balanced, you likely do not need a fiber supplement. Whole grain products have more fiber than refined grains. Choose foods that have higher amounts of fiber, such as whole-wheat bread versus white bread and brown rice versus white rice. Try to eat foods that are naturally high in fiber. Fiber supplements and foods artificially fortified with fiber often do not deliver the same health benefits and may worsen bloating and gas.Read food labels carefullyFood labels give you information about the calories, number of servings, and nutrient content of packaged foods. Reading the labels can help you mak...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Vegetables, Legumes, and NutsVegetables are a good source of fiber. Eat more:Lettuce, Swiss chard, raw carrots, and spinach Tender cooked vegetables, such as asparagus, beets, mushrooms, turnips, and pumpkin Baked potatoes and sweet potatoes with skin Broccoli, artichokes, squashes, and string beansYou can also get more fiber by eating:Legumes, such as lentils, black beans, split peas, kidney beans, lima beans, and chickpeas Nuts and seeds, such as sunflower seeds, almonds, pistachios, and pecans FruitsFruits are another good source of fiber. Eat more:Apples and bananas Peaches and pears Tangerines, prunes, and berries Figs and other dried fruits KiwisGrainsGrains are another important source of dietary fiber. Eat more:Hot cereals, such as oatmeal and farina Whole-grain breads Brown rice Quinoa Popcorn High-fiber cereals, such as bran, shredded wheat, and puffed wheat Whole-wheat pastas Bran muffins Open ReferencesReferencesDahl WJ, Stewart ML. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: health implications of dietary fiber. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015;115(11):1861-1870. PMID: 26514720 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26514720/.Murray MT. Nutritional medicine. In: Pizzorno JE, Murray MT, eds. Textbook of Natural Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 44.Thompson M, Noel MB. Nutrition and family medicine. In: Rakel RE, Rakel DP, eds. Textbook of Family Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 37.