It is obvious that dietary fiber has significant role in keeping your optimum health and, furthermore, has ability to prevent you from cancer.  The question is: can we estimate the content of fiber in our foods?

If you want to estimate your dietary fiber intake, consult the following charts in which divide fiber into the two basic types: insoluble and soluble.

Insoluble Fiber Content of Foods

Unless otherwise indicated, all values for vegetables and pasta reflect fiber content of the cooked product. Values determined by High Carbohydrate and Fiber Research Foundation, Lexington, Kentucky.

Soluble Fiber Content of Foods

# Bran: Note that other wheat products such as whole wheat or white bread, pasta, and graham crackers are insignificant sources of soluble fiber. Brown and white rice also contain very little soluble fiber.

Unless otherwise indicated, all values for vegetables and pasta reflect fiber content of the cooked product. Values determined by High Carbohydrate and Fiber Research Foundation, Lexington, Kentucky.

For deeper information related to dietary fiber, visit:

• Dietary Fiber Prevents You from Cancer.

(This part is continuation of the previous article)

The soluble forms of fiber have value in control of blood cholesterol and blood sugar. Fruits, vegetables, beans, and oat bran are good sources of these forms of fiber.

The soluble fibers don’t lower blood cholesterol nearly as much as the cholesterol’s sources raise it. But a diet rich in fruits and vegetables has a mild cholesterol-lowering effect, thanks to the fiber. Lower blood cholesterol, of course, means lower rates of heart disease.

These soluble forms of fiber have also revolutionized the treatment of diabetes. New research has shown that a high-fiber diet helps diabetics control their blood sugar better than the diets used in the past. Their insulin requirements often drop on a high-fiber diet. Changes in insulin doses should be made only on a doctor’s instructions.

Fiber’s ability to keep the blood sugar under control may very well help people who do not have diabetes. A low-fiber meal can cause the blood sugar level to rise quickly, then drop abruptly. Headaches, hunger, and irritability can set in as a result.

But fiber can guard against these symptoms by preventing sharp swings in the blood sugar level.

How to Estimate Fiber Content?

If you want to estimate your fiber intake, consult the chart that follow. This chart gives the total fiber content of foods.

Total Fiber Content of Foods

(Soluble and Insoluble Fiber)

Unless otherwise indicated, all values for vegetables reflect fiber content of the cooked product. Analyzes of fiber content by James W. Anderson, High Carbohydrate and Fiber Research Foundation, Lexington, Kentucky.

Find the next powerful charts in the following article:

• Estimate Your Fiber Intake

( continuation of the previous article )

Scientists believe that we may be able to adapt to high-fiber diets. But this is not known for sure. It is speculation based on a handful of studies.

The effect of fiber on minerals varies among the different types. Here is what scientists think based on current knowledge:

• Iron nutrition probably won’t be affected by eating more fiber.
• Fiber probably will decrease absorption of zinc and copper.
• If zinc and copper intake is good, the decrease in absorption probably will not create any problems.

Whole grains contain more zinc and copper than refined grains, so this may offset any loss of these minerals resulting from the fiber. But until we know this for a fact, I feel it’s best to take a moderate rather than extreme approach to the fiber content of your diet.

Another Mineral-Robber

Fiber is not the only substances in whole grain foods that can bind to minerals. Whole grains also contain phytic acid, which can also tie up minerals. Nutritionists also refer to phytic acid as phytate.

Fortunately, we now know that yeast can destroy phytate. This means that it should not be a problem in whole grain breads made with yeast. Nutritionists believe that phytate is rarely a problem, except among people eating enormous amounts of unleavened bread. Few, if any, of us eat such a diet.

Fighting Fat with Fiber

If you’re weight watcher, you probably remember the ‘starch blockers’ that came out in 1982. The too-good-to-be true claims were just that. The pills landed more than two dozen people in the hospital. The FDA had its hands full getting the stuff off the market.

Well, fiber may be the only starch blocker that doesn’t make us sick.

Nutritionists have long known that fiber blocks the absorption of some of the calories in food. It not only blocks the calories from carbohydrates; it takes on protein, fat, and carbohydrate  pretty much equally. Studies show that people absorb 1% to 3% fewer calories when eating a high-fiber diet.

Sound like a fantasy? It is not. Most of us gain weight slowly, at the rate of an extra pound or two per year. For a woman needing 100 calories a day, a 1% fall in calories absorbed would mean a loss of two pounds per year. A 3% reduction in calories absorbed translates into 6 fewer pounds per year.

There’s only one catch. These findings come from short-term studies. No one knows whether the body will adapt to a high-fiber diet so that eventually just as many calories are absorbed.

Fiber researchers have reported getting complaints from their subject about the “large” quantity of food they were asked to eat. Little did the subjects realize that the high-fiber diets contained no more calories than low-fiber diet.

This is a clue that fiber creates a feeling of fullness. Nutritionists have long suspected that it does. In the stomach, fiber swells with water. This may help curb hunger.

Some scientists also believe that high-fiber foods help with weight control because they take longer to chew.

One thing is for sure: a high-fiber diet based on whole grains, fruits, and vegetables is likely to be nutritionally sound. That is more than can be said for so many of the “miracle” weight-loss diets that come along every year.

More Benefits of Fiber

Fiber is now known to benefit the following conditions:

1. Diverticulosis and diverticulitis
2. High blood cholesterol
3. Diabetes
4. It may also help prevent tooth decay!

Let’s take a closer look at these findings.

Diverticulosis is a common condition among older people. It refers to outpouchings of the intestines. Food can get caught in these pockets. Often the result is inflammation and pain.

Doctors used to treat this problem with a low-fiber diet. But much to their surprise, they have learned that a high-fiber diet usually gives much better results. In general, patients are asked to add wheat bran to their diets.

Dental researchers believe that whole grain foods may play a role in preventing tooth decay. Studies show that something in whole grains may protect the teeth from decay-producing acids in the mouth. The bacteria in the mouth produce these acids.

( The Next Fiber’s Benefit and How to Estimate Fiber Content )

(The previous story of fiber)

Of course, there are whole grain foods other than those that we think of as cereals.

Here are some ideas for whole grain foods that go well with lunch and dinner or make good snacks:

1. for lunch : whole wheat or rye bread
2. for dinner : brown rice, millet, bulghur wheat (as in tabouli)
3. for snacks : graham crackers, rye wafers, or whole wheat crackers

All of these foods are moderate sources of insoluble fiber.

A Matter of Milling

You may be surprised to see brown rice and whole wheat bread described as only moderate sources of fiber. These foods contain less fiber than is commonly believed.

Brown rice, for example, has only a moderately higher fiber content than white rice. The difference amounts to about 1.5 grams per half cup of cooked rice.

Whole wheat bread has more fiber than brown rice, yet less than many people assume. It is a moderate source of fiber, but not one of the highest. In general, coarse wheat products have more fiber than breads.

There is another reason why coarse forms of wheat, such as bran and shredded wheat, are better source of fiber than foods such as whole wheat bread. The beneficial effects of these fiber-containing foods is partly due to the bulk they create in the digestive system.

Grinding wheat into flour reduces its ability to create bulk in the digestive tract. A finely ground source of fiber – such as whole wheat bread – does not give as much bulk as bran.

Because of this, foods made from whole grain flour do not have as much laxative power as bran and other coarse forms of wheat. It is possible that foods made from finely ground whole grains also have less value in preventing cancer.

Baking with Fiber

Baking with whole wheat flour instead of white is another way to boost your fiber intake. In yeast breads, making this substitution poses no problem.

But baking cakes and cookies with whole wheat flour increases the amount of fat needed for good texture. Cakes and cookies made with whole wheat flour require about one and one-half to twice as much fat as those made with white flour. And some people find their heavy texture unappealing.

One way to solve this problem id to use half white flour, and half whole wheat flour when baking. This should hold down the amount of fat needed.

If you are interested in the extra minerals in whole grain flour, rather than its small amount of fiber, there is another option. Use a quarter of a cup of wheat germ and three-quarters of a cup of white flour for each cup of flour in a recipe. You’ll get roughly the same nutrients as in whole wheat flour, with the exception of its fiber.

The Economical Guide to be Healthy

One thing is for sure: following the recommendation to eat whole grains is not going to break your budget. Many whole grain foods are reasonably priced.

I have computed the cost of getting a gram of fiber from an assortment of common foods. Here is what I learned:

1. Unprocessed bran is the cheapest source of fiber. Each gram costs less than a penny.
2. The bran-only cereals such as All-Bran and 100% Bran also provide a gram of fiber for only a penny.
3. Store-brand whole wheat and rye bread give a gram of fiber for just over a penny.

If you like unprocessed bran, it may actually be a better buy at a health food store, where it is sometimes sold in bulk rather than in fancy packages. My own taste buds prefer bran muffins baked with the bran-only cereals. But I have included some recipes for my family using the unprocessed bran because it is a little less expensive.

Individually packed instant oats and a few cereals are expensive ways to get whole grain nutrition. But most of the cereals are reasonably priced, and boxed oats are a good value.

More Foods with Fiber

Fiber comes in other foods, too. As I said earlier, the Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer made recommendations only for whole grains. But I would like to mention some other sources of fiber that have the bulk-producing ability of the whole grains.

Among beans, fruits, and vegetables, the best sources of insoluble fiber are:

• Kidney beans and white beans
• Peas
• Blackberries
• Parsnips

I have learned to use peas in both hot and cold recipes for my family; I add them to meat dishes and stews as well as to salads. I have also found that for a change of pace, beans make a nice salad.

The following foods have less insoluble fiber than the above foods. But they still have respectable amounts:

• Apples, pears, plums, and strawberries
• Lima, pinto, or green beans
• Broccoli and brussels sprouts
• Potatoes (white)
• Summer squash, tomatoes, and zucchini

Animal foods, fats, and oils contain no fiber. Only plant foods have it.

How Much Is Enough?

It makes good sense to eat more whole grain foods and more fibers. As mentioned earlier, a fiber intake of 30 to 40 grams has been proposed by several experts.

This does not mean that all the grains in your diet must be whole grains, or that every fruit and vegetable you choose must rate high of fiber.

My suggestion is to make about half the grains in your diet whole grains. I am not with those who despise any grain food made from refined grains.

True, refined grain foods contain less of certain minerals than whole grain foods. And they have less fiber, though in some cases (such as brown versus white rice or whole wheat pasta versus white pasta), the differences are small.

But this is not to say that foods made with white flour are worthless. They provide respectable levels of protein, iron, and certain vitamins. And they are low in fat and cholesterol and often low in sodium.

In short, there is something good to be said for both whole grain and refined grain foods. A reasonable balance between the two is a moderate, sensible approach.

Can Fiber Cause Trouble?

There is one reason not to go all out when it comes to fiber. Though it has its good points, fiber has not been given a clean bill of health just yet.

Nutritionists have known for decades that fiber can bind to minerals in food, preventing the body from absorbing them. All forms of fiber have this ability.

( The Next Health Benefits of Fiber )

For decades, nutritionists viewed fiber as all but worthless. It did not even qualify as a nutrient, because its absence didn’t cause the deficiency disease that result when diets are inadequate in protein, vitamins, or minerals.

As far as nutritionists could see, fiber served no useful purpose other than to prevent constipation.

But during the past decades, fiber has come into its own. It is now the focus of intense research. It is now known that fiber plays a role in regulation of blood cholesterol and blood sugar. Fiber may even help with weight control.

And, yes, it is likely that fiber can help to prevent cancer. Diet institutions and foundations in almost every country surround the world, such as the Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer in In the U.S., has advised us to eat whole grain foods every day. These foods are usually a good source of fiber. How about processed grains? Grains that have been refined – such as white flour – contain only little fiber.

The Fiber Fan Club

The Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer was not the first to recommend more fiber-containing foods. In the 1980, the USDA issued new dietary guidelines. Then, USDA recommends eating “foods with adequate starch and fiber.” This was quite a change for the USDA. For 25 years before, its food guides made no distinction between refined grains and whole grains; both were considered about equal in nutritional value.

And back in 1977, when the National Cancer Institute issued its advice to the public, it advocated eating more fiber, too.

We averagely eat about 20 grams of fiber per day. Several scientists have recommended increasing fiber intake to a level of 30 to 40 grams a day.

Fiber: What It is

Fiber is a general term. It refers to an assortment of substances in food that are not digested in the small intestine. With one exception, all forms of fiber are carbohydrates. They are a type of carbohydrate that human cannot digest.

All of the following are classified as dietary fiber:

1) Cellulose, which is abundant in wheat bran

2) Hemicellulose, another form found in whole grain foods

3) Lignin, found in grains, fruits, and vegetables

4) Pectins, which are common in fruits and vegetables

5) Gums and mucilages, often found in beans, oats, fruits, and vegetables.

The Two Basic Types of Fiber

Actually, you don’t have to know each form of fiber and where it occurs. For the most part, it is only necessary to think of two kinds of fiber: soluble and insoluble.

As their label implies, the soluble fibers are those that dissolve in water. Pectins, gums, and mucilages fall into the soluble category.

Insoluble fibers are those that do not dissolve in water. Cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin are insoluble fibers.

Both soluble and insoluble forms of fiber play important roles in preventive medicine. Current research suggests, however, that only the insoluble fibers help to prevent cancer.

The insoluble fibers create bulk in the digestive tract. The more bulk there is, the less room for harmful chemicals that might cause cancer. The soluble fibers do not give bulk, but they do have other virtues. We’ll talk about them later.

The best source of the bulk-producing insoluble fibers is whole grain foods – especially bran.

Studies worldwide link whole grain foods to lower risk of colon cancer. Studies on animals back up these results. In animals, wheat bran has more often than not shown an ability to help protect against colon cancer.

A few studies with humans have also tied vegetables to low rates of colon cancer. The fiber in vegetables has rarely been tested in animals, however, so it is hard to pass judgment on foods other than whole grains.

It is no surprise, then, that the Committee on Diet,Nutrition, and Cancer limited its advice on fiber to whole grain foods.

The Recommendation and How to Meet It

None of the recommendations from the Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer are as simple as the one for fiber: “Eat………whole grain foods daily”.

In providing fiber, no whole grain food comes close to wheat bran. Half a cup of 100% whole bran cereal has about 3 times as much fiber as a slice of whole wheat bread.

You don’t have to eat bran directly to add it to your diet, though starting the day with a bran cereal is not a bad idea. You can replace a small amount of flour used in baking with bran. Because bran is so rich in fiber, even a small amount counts. As a general rule, try replacing about one-third of the flour in a recipe with an equal amount of bran.

When baking with bran cereal, it is best to let the cereal soften in liquid before baking. Try to combine the cereal with a liquid ingredient in the recipe.

Be Creative with Cereals

Shredded wheat is another excellent source of wheat fiber. Many people find the “spoon-size” shredded wheat more pleasing than the large biscuits. There are dozens of ways to enjoy shredded wheat:

• Use the spoon-size biscuits with dips.
• Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin and substitute for some of the flour used in baking.
• Use spoon-size biscuits with soups and salads instead of croutons. You may want to saute them first in a small amount of butter for about five minutes.
• Substitute spoon-size shredded wheat for rice when serving a meat or vegetable sauce that is normally-served over rice. The liquid in the sauce will soften the cereal.

Some of the “chex” cereals are also a good source of fiber. Bran Chex has the most fiber of the group. Wheat Chex also provides some fiber; it is made with the whole grain. The corn and rice variaties are made from refined grains. Their fiber content is negligible.

The chex cereals make a good breakfast cereal for those who like crunchy cereal. Shredded wheat tends to soften quickly when milk is added.

Another delicious use of the chex cereals is in party mixes. Mixed with chopped dried fruit and popcorn, this is my choice for a great snack.

Oats are still another versatile whole grain food. Instant oats, quick oats, and old-fashioned oats are all whole grain foods. The difference lies in the way the oats are cut. The instant oats are steamed at the factory. Unlike quick or old-fashioned oats, instant oats contain added sodium

( The Next Health Benefits of Fiber )

If you do, then you should think again. Exciting new research shows that nature gives us weapons that can fight back. And these weapons are not in exotic places. They are in common foods.

The substances I am talking about are not considered nutrients, because their absence does not cause a deficiency disease. These substances are little-known food elements. Only a handful of research scientists are familiar with them.

Scientists call them inhibitors. In laboratory animals, these substances show an impressive ability to inhibit the cancer process.

How Cancer Inhibitors Work

A cancer agent, such as one found in cigarette smoke, might cause cancer in half of the animals that are exposed to it. But when an inhibitor is given along with the cancer-causing chemical, fewer animals will develop cancer. The inhibitor prevents the cancer-causing chemical from doing its damage.

Exactly how inhibitors work is not known. But the best theory right now has to do with an enzyme system in the body’s cells. It is called the mixed function oxidase system. Scientists believe that this enzyme system may actually have the power to strip dangerous chemicals of their harmful effects.

Cancer scientists have been curious about inhibitors for a very good reason. Human studies do support the notion that certain foods help to block the cancer process. Several studies have found that people who often eat foods thought to contain inhibitors have less chance of getting cancer.

The Organs That Benefit

For the most part, inhibitors are linked to protection against cancer of the digestive organs. Research ties these inhibitors most strongly to reduced rates of stomach and colon cancer.

Cancer inhibitors may help to explain why many people who are exposed to cancer agents never develop cancer. Think about it. Everyone has been exposed to cancer agents. They are in the air. Or in the water we drink. Or in the work place. And sometimes in our food.

Why, then, does cancer strike one in four – not four in four?

A good intake of cancer inhibitors may be part of the answer.

The Recommendation and How to Meet It

The Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer took a close look at research on cancer inhibitors. The committee made one recommendation after looking at these important findings.

The recommendation advises us to emphasize foods belonging to the cabbage family of vegetables. There is good evidence that these foods contain cancer inhibitors other than vitamins A and C.

The most common foods of the cabbage family are broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and of course, cabbage. Research has linked these four vegetables to reduced risk of both stomach and colon cancer. A few studies also link these foods to lower risk of rectal cancer.

There are other foods in this family of vegetables. But it is not possible to say whether these other foods are also linked to lower risk of these cancers. It is reasonable to believe that these other foods are more likely than not to contain the same cancer-blocking substances. But only further research will give a firm answer.

The following chart lists all the foods belonging to this family.

The Whole Cabbage Family

A Family of Many Names

Scientists have some strange jargon for the foods of the cabbage family. The most technical name for this group of foods is the Brassica family. They also refer to these foods as “cruciferous” vegetables.

The inhibitors found in broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage have been named indoles. Research on indoles is so recent that tables listing the indoles content of foods are nowhere to be found. So it is not possible to rank foods by their indole level. Also it is not known whether cooking and storage influence the indoles in these foods.

The best advice is to select the foods of this family that you like best and eat them often – perhaps once or twice a week. Remember that many of these foods offer other bonuses: vitamin A or C, a low fat and sodium count, and a modest amount of dietary fiber.

( next story: the Part II )

I would drink my orange juice and eat my green peppers even if  it weren’t  for research linking vitamin C to prevention of cancer.

Some of my reasons are the same ones that bolster the advice to eat more fruits and vegetables that supply carotene.  Like these plant foods rich in vitamin A, foods rich in vitamin C are also low in saturated fat and sodium.

What’s more, fruits and vegetables that contain vitamin C are cholesterol-free. And they provide small to moderate amounts of dietary fiber. Eaten in large amounts,  the fiber in these fruits and vegetables helps to lower blood cholesterol levels.

There is more. Vitamin C is rarely recognized for its role in iron absorption. Yet we have known for many years that vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron.

The extent of iron deficiency in the United State and most industry countries have been greatly exaggerated, I believe, but there are probably more people taking in too little iron than is the case for other nutrients.

Because the body absorbs only about 10 percent of the iron taken in, factors that increase iron absorption are just as important as iron-rich food. In fact, some scientists believe that increasing absorption of iron, rather than boosting iron intake, is the key to improving iron nutrition. They may be right on target.

At moderate levels – such as 50 to 100 mg – vitamin C has been found to improve iron absorption by as much as 50 percent. Higher doses may result in even higher absorption. But very few of us truly need such as assist.

Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron in foods that are eaten at the same meal. The vitamin C in breakfast foods, for example, has little or no effect on the iron in foods eaten at lunch or dinner.

For some people, however, this is not good news. A small number of people have a condition that causes them to retain too much iron, which accumulates in various organs, causing health problems. People who have this condition should consult their physicians for advice about diet.

I would love to tell you that vitamin C will also help protect you from heart disease. But I cannot, because I am not at all convinced by these claims.

I have looked carefully at evidence that vitamin C lowers blood cholesterol levels. But I found other studies in which vitamin C supplements appeared to have raised the cholesterol level. Some studies show no difference. I really do not hold out much hope for an effect here.

But what more can you want from vitamin C? It does not have to play a role in prevention of every disease in order to be taken seriously.

In my opinion, vitamin C is as important today as it was two centuries ago, when the mysterious disease  called scurvy threatened the lives of sailors who spent months without fresh fruits and vegetables. It is hard to disagree with the advice to make more room for this familiar vitamin in our diets.