The Health Benefits of Nutritional Supplement Fiber

There are many types of nutritional supplement fiber available which can greatly enhance your general wellbeing and positively be beneficial for your health.
This is also known as dietary fiber which consists of both the indigestible and digestable components.
We used to lump all fiber together as 'roughage' but strictly speaking this name should only refer to the indigestible portion.

Sources Of Fiber

Insoluble (indigestible) fiber includes
  • whole grain foods, bran, nuts and seeds
  • vegetables such as green beans,cauliflower, zucchini ( which is the same as courgette) and celery.
  • It also includes the skins of some fruits including tomatoes


Soluble (digestible) fiber can be found in all plant foods in varying quantities
  • These foods include peas, soybeans and other beans,
  • oats, rye and barley
  • some fruits and fruit juices particularly prune juice, plums and berries
  • and certain vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions


Health Benefits of Fiber

Diets naturally high in fiber can have the following health benefits

  • improvements in gastrointestinal health
  • improvements in glucose tolerence and the insulin response
  • reduced risk of coronary heart desease including lowering of cholesterol
  • reduction in the risk of developing some cancers
  • increases the feeling of being full and is therefore assists in weight loss / weight management


I have known someone whose symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome were alleviated due to her intake of fiber supplements.



Guidelines on Fiber Intake

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) recommends a minimum of 20-35 grams a day for a healthy adult

The British Nutrition Foundation recommends a minimum fiber intake of 12-24 grams a day for healthy adults.

I would say that you need to consume a variety of fruits and vegetables in addition to nutritional supplement fiber to ensure you get at least 25-30 grams of fiber a day. As you can see I have gone with the American recommendation on quantity as I believe that the health benefits of the added fiber intake are invaluable.

However the rest of your dietary intake should be controlled so that your sugar and calorie consumption will not negate your overall health objective.

Are You interested in the different types of diets out there? Why not check out this page on diets

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