Besides getting screened annually beginning at age 45, eating a diet rich in fiber is a helpful step in avoiding colorectal cancer.
Fiber isn’t just good for the colon; it’s a nutrient that’s beneficial to overall health. However, most people in the United States aren’t consuming enough fiber each day — to the tune of more than 90% of women and 97% of men. That’s a concerning statistic, considering everything fiber can do for the body.
“Fiber has all sorts of benefits for your health,” said Lee Hyrkas, Emplify Health registered dietician. “It can also help to lower cholesterol, it can help with good digestion, it can help with blood sugar management, so there are all sorts of reasons to add more fiber to your diet.”
Luckily, there’s a wide variety of foods that contain fiber, so working it into your regular routine shouldn’t be difficult. That includes foods that contain whole grains, such as bread, oatmeal, popcorn, wild rice and brown rice. Then there are fruits like bananas and strawberries and legumes like lentils and kidney beans.
So, how much fiber is just right? Hyrkas suggests people consumer 25 to 35 grams each day, accompanied by sufficient fluids. However, if you’re one of the 90% who doesn’t get enough, it’s important to increase your intake slowly. Doing it too fast can result in bloating or upset stomach.
“It doesn’t have to be complicated to add more fiber to your diet. There are more and more products coming out that have fiber added to them,” Hyrkas said. “Sometimes those can be a little bit more expensive, or people can be intimidated by that. But really, it can be as simple as choosing whole wheat bread instead of white bread, adding some beans to a salad or soup, or having a snack of fruits, vegetables or nuts instead of chips.”
For information, visit https://bellin.org/services/lifestyle-medicine/nutrition.
