High-Fibre Diet

The high-fibre diet aims to increase fibre intake to 25 to 40 grams per day, an amount linked to reduced risk of many chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, certain gastro-intestinal conditions, and perhaps even obesity. As each has different benefits, both soluble fibre (found in beans, oats, and fruits) and insoluble fibre (found in vegetables, whole grains, and fruit skins) sources should be included in the diet. This diet does not restrict intake of any nutrients or foods; however, increasing fibre intake could naturally decrease calorie intake as high-fibre foods can be filling. This in turn could lead to weight loss.

Get the right amount—The average American gets about 10 grams of fibre per day, while the USDA Dietary Guidelines recommends 20 to 25 grams per day.Easy does it—Increase fibre intake slowly to avoid unpleasant side effects.Stay hydrated—Be sure to drink adequate water when eating a high fibre diet.

Best bets: Beans and pulses, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables

Why do people follow this diet?

Some scientists believe that whole grains, containing high amounts of insoluble fibre, protect against a few forms of cancer. In an analysis of the data from many studies, people who eat relatively high amounts of whole grains were reported to have low risks of lymphomas and cancers of the pancreas, stomach, colon, rectum, breast, uterus, mouth, throat, liver, and thyroid. Most research focusing on the relationship between cancer and fibre has focused on breast and colon cancers.

A diet high in fibre is protective against heart disease. Soluble fibre from beans, oats, psyllium seed, and fruit pectin has lowered cholesterol levels in most trials. Diets high in overall fibre have reduced triglyceride levels in a few clinical trials, but have had no effect in others. Research suggests that soluble, not insoluble, fibres are helpful in lowering triglyceride levels. A high-fibre diet that features both soluble and insoluble fibres also seems to reduce the risk of both fatal and nonfatal heart attacks.

High-fibre diets also may be beneficial for certain gastro-intestinal conditions. Fibre slows the movement of food and acidic fluid from the stomach to the intestines. It may help people with duodenal ulcers by reducing the exposure of the small intestine to stomach acids. Diverticular disease has become increasingly common and is thought to be due primarily to the consumption of a low-fibre diet; diets high in fibre have consequently been shown to protect against diverticular disease.

Preliminary evidence suggests that high-fibre diets also may benefit people with type 2 diabetes, as well people with chronic pancreatitis. More research is needed to confirm these relationships.

In addition to reducing the risk of certain chronic diseases, high-fibre diets may have other benefits. Fibre fills the stomach, thereby reducing appetite. Recent research has suggested that high-fibre diets may protect against obesity. Increased intake of fibre promotes digestive health and reduces constipation. Additionally, high fibre foods are generally rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that are important for overall health.

Although people can be allergic to certain high-fibre foods (most commonly wheat), high-fibre diets are more likely to improve health than cause any health problems. Beans, a good source of soluble fibre, contain special sugars that are often poorly digested, often leading to flatulence (gas). Cooking beans with kombu (a type of seaweed), epazote (a Mexican herb), or using an enzyme supplement called alpha-galactosidase can help reduce this problem by improving digestion of these sugars. The following cooking method can help too: When cooking dried beans, be sure to soak them overnight, then drain and rinse the beans. Cover with water again, bring to a boil, and skim the foam off the top of the water before reducing the heat to a simmer to finish cooking.

It is important to drink adequate fluids, especially water, when increasing fibre intake to minimise the possibility of constipation.

Fibre reduces the absorption of most minerals. To minimise this effect, multimineral supplements should not be taken at the same time as a high-fibre meal.

What do I need to avoid?

Avoid food products made with processed grains, such as white flour or white rice, as they contain minimal fibre content.

Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, as opposed to drinking fruit and vegetable juices, since fibre is removed during the juicing process.

Best bets

Beans
Bran cereals
Flaxseeds
Fruits
Oat bran
Peanuts, walnuts
Psyllium seeds
Rye crisp biscuits
Vegetables
Wheat bran
Wheat crisp biscuits
Whole grain bread
Whole grains: wheat berries, barley, rye, bulgar, buckwheat
Whole-wheat pasta

Are there any groups or books associated with this diet?

High Fiber, High Flavor: Delicious Recipes for Good Health by Rosemary Moon, Toronto: Firefly Books, 2000.

The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen, Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 2000.

366 Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans, and Grains by Andrea Chesman, New York: Plume, 1998.

The Corinne T. Netzer Fiber Counter by Corinne T. Netzer, New York: Dell Books, 1994.

Bibliography

Anderson JW, Allgood LD, Lawrence A, et al. Cholesterol-lowering effects of psyllium intake adjunctive to diet therapy in men and women with hypercholesterolaemia: meta-analysis of 8 controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;71:472–9.

Anderson JW, Chen WJL. Pulses and their soluble fibre: effect on cholesterol-rich lipoproteins. In Unconventional Sources of Dietary Fibre. Furda I, ed., Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, 1983.

Anderson JW, Gustafson NJ. High-carbohydrate, high-fibre diet. Postgrad Med 1987;82:40–55 [review].

Baghurst PA, Rohan TE. High-fibre diets and reduced risk of breast cancer. Int J Cancer 1994;56:173–6.

Brown L, Rosner B, Willett WW, Sacks FM. Cholesterol-lowering effects of dietary fibre: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 1999;69:30–42.

Dutta SK, Hlasko J. Dietary fibre in pancreatic disease: effect of high fibre diet on fat malabsorption in pancreatic insufficiency and in vitro study of the interaction of dietary fibre with pancreatic enzymes. Am J Clin Nutr 1985;41:517–25.

Fuchs CS, Giovannucci EL, Colditz GA, et al. Dietary fibre and the risk of colorectal cancer and adenoma in women. N Engl J Med 1999;340:169–76.

Glore SR, Van Treeck D, Knehans AW, Guild M. Soluble fibre and serum lipids: a literature review. J Am Dietet Assoc 1994;94:425–36.

Grimes DS, Goddard J. Gastric emptying of wholemeal and white bread. Gut 1977;18:725–9.

Hallfrisch J, Scholfield DJ, Behall KM. Diets containing soluble oat extracts improve glucose and insulin responses of moderately hypercholesterolemic men and women. Am J Clin Nutr 1995;61:379–84.

Handler S. Dietary fibre: Can it prevent certain colonic diseases? Postgrad Med 1983;73:301–7.

Hill MJ. Cereals, cereal fibre and colorectal cancer risk: a review of the epidemiological literature. Eur J Cancer Prev 1997;6:219–25.

Landin K, Holm G, Tengborn L, Smith U. Guar gum improves insulin sensitivity, blood lipids, blood pressure, and fibrinolysis in healthy men. Am J Clin Nutr 1992;56:1061–5.

La Vecchia C, Ferraroni M, Franceschi S, et al. Fibres and breast cancer risk. Nutr Cancer 1997;28:264–9.

Jacobs DR Jr, Marquart L, Salvin J, Kushi LH. Whole-grain intake and cancer: an expanded review and meta-analysis. Nutr Cancer 1998;30:85–96.

Ludwig DS, Pereira MA, Kroenke CH, Hilner JE, Van Horn L, Slattery ML, Jacobs DR Jr. Dietary fibre, weight gain, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in young adults. JAMA 1999;282:1539–46.

Miettinen TA, Tarpila S. Effect of pectin on serum cholesterol, faecal bile acids and biliary lipids in normolipidemic and hyperlipidemic individuals. Clin Chim Acta 1977;79:471–7.

O’Keefe SJD, Kidd M, Espitalier-Noel G, Owira P. Rarity of colon cancer in Africans is associated with low animal product consumption, not fibre. Am J Gastroenterol 1999;94:1373–80.

Pietinen P, Rimm EB, Korhonen P, et al. Intake of dietary fibre and risk of coronary heart disease in a cohort of Finnish men. The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study. Circulation 1996;94:2720–7.

Rao GN, Ney E, Herbert RA. Influence of diet on mammary cancer in transgenic mice bearing an oncogene expressed in mammary tissue. Breast Cancer Res Treat 1997;45:149–58.

Rimm EB, Ascherio A, Giovannucci E, et al. Vegetable, fruit, and cereal fibre intake and risk of coronary heart disease among men. JAMA 1996;275:447–51.

Ripsin CM, Keenan JM, Jacobs DR, et al. Oat products and lipid lowering—a meta-analysis. JAMA 1992;267:3317–25.

Rodríguez-Morán M, Guerrero-Romero F, Lazcano-Burciaga G. Lipid- and glucose-lowering efficacy of plantago psyllium in type II diabetes. Diabetes Its Complications 1998;12:273–8.

Romero AL, Romero JE, Galaviz S, Fernandez ML. Biscuits enriched with psyllium or oat bran lower plasma LDL cholesterol in normal and hypercholesterolemic men from Northern Mexico. J Am Coll Nutr 1998;17:601–8.

Rydning A, Berstad A, Aadland E, Odegaard B. Prophylactic effect of dietary fibre in duodenal ulcer disease. Lancet 1982;ii:736–9.

Schwartz SE, Levine RA, Weinstock RS, et al. Sustained pectin ingestion: effect on gastric emptying and glucose tolerance in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients. Am J Clin Nutr 1988;48:1413–7.

Wolk A, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, et al. Long-term intake of dietary fibre and decreased risk of coronary heart disease among women. JAMA 1999;281:1998–2004.

Learn more about Healthnotes, the company.

Learn more about the authors of Healthnotes.

The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or chemist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires September 2008.

2007-09-01

Skip to:

Why do people follow this diet?

What do I need to avoid?

Best bets

Are there any groups or books associated with this diet?

Bibliography