The benefits of fiber have been supported by over a 100 years of research. A large new study reveals that eating more fiber can lower your risk of developing serious illness over time. 

“When compared with those who consume very little fiber, people at the high end of the fiber-eating spectrum saw their risk for dying from heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and/or colon cancer plummet by 16 to 24 percent, investigators reported.”

Exciting enough, the more fiber a person consumed, the risk of developing those illness continued to decrease. The range of illness that higher intake of fiber seemed to impact surprised scientists. 

The results come from 185 observational studies and 58 clinical trails performed over four decades. 

Researchers say that American’s on average, eat less than 15 grams of fiber per day. However increasing intake to 25-29 gms per day is just “adequate.” The more fiber a person incorporates in their diet, the greater the decrease in overall risk of an early death.

Every additional 15-gram bump in daily whole grain intake was found to curtail an individual’s overall risk of early death — as well as their risk of early death from heart disease — by between 2 and 19 percent.

Researchers also found that increasing fiber intake had no risky health effects and that it is never too late to start embracing fiber every day!  

“When considering all the trials of increasing fiber intakes, those participants that did reduced both their body weight and the total cholesterol in their blood, two important predictors of disease.”

Although none of these discoveries are surprising, scientists hope this will lead to changes in dietary recommendation. “This is just one more piece of evidence that supports and further solidifies the recommendations registered dietitian nutritionists have been making for years,” said Sandon.

It is never to late to start eating healthy and fiber may be a great starting point for many! 

Here are some common foods and their fiber content:

• 1 slice of whole wheat bread has 2 grams 
• 1 cup of boiled broccoli has 5 grams
• 1 medium orange has 3 grams
• 1 cup of cooked black beans has 15 grams.

To learn more: “More Proof High-Fiber Diets Help Prevent Cancers, Heart Disease” – Health Day

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