Eating More Fiber May Offer Health Benefits

How much fiber do you consume in your daily diet? According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), adults should consume 14 grams for every 1,000 calories daily. So if you consume 2,000 calories per day, you should strive for 28 grams of fiber in your daily diet.

But many people fall short of this amount. And a new study has found that people who consume adequate fiber in their diets live a happier, healthier life when compared to their counterparts. 

Researchers from the Westmead Institute for Medical Research in Australia have found that consuming high-fiber foods like bread, cereal, oats and fruit can improve a person's health in several different ways. More specifically, it allows us to age more gracefully, without succumbing to negative health effects like depression, dementia, heart disease, cancer, etc.

For the study, researchers analyzed data on more than 1,6000 adults, all of whom were 50 years of age or older, from an existing study titled the Blue Mountains Eye Study. The researchers' goal was to identify the prevalence of diseases of the eye, particularly those involving glaucoma and ocular hypertension. They discovered that the one of the biggest impacts on aging in regards to these diseases was participants' intake of fiber. Other factors like carbohydrate intake and glycemic index also played a role in healthy aging, although to a lesser degree than fiber intake.

The latest study is published in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.

"Out of all the variables that we looked at, fiber intake, which is a type of carbohydrate that the body can’t digest, had the strongest influence,” said Dr. Gopinath, one of the study's lead authors. " “Essentially, we found that those who had the highest intake of fiber or total fiber actually had an almost 80 percent greater likelihood of living a long and healthy life over a 10-year follow-up. That is, they were less likely to suffer from hypertension, diabetes, dementia, depression, and functional disability."

So, how can you increase your fiber intake? The key thing to remember is that you should focus on healthy, natural sources of fiber instead of processed sources. Fruits and vegetables are typically excellent sources of fiber. This includes broccoli, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, bananas, oranges, apples, pears, whole-grain oats, cereals, bread, peanuts, almonds, pistachios, spinach, artichokes, and brussels sprouts.

This study was published in the Journals of of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.