Benefits of fiber for health and cancer prevention

What to Eat

Mar 9

Written By JC

Fiber is a "healthy" type of carbohydrate, with ample health benefits and cancer-preventative properties.

Even so, only 5% of the U.S. population gets enough fiber in their diet.

Yet, in the U.S. alone there are 1.8 million new cases of cancer each year, and 1.5 million heart attacks and strokes occurring yearly.

What’s the connection? 🧐

Lack of movement, too much processed food, poor sleeping habits, and not enough fiber.

More and more research has found that adequate fiber intake is associated with cancer prevention and better overall heart health—the two leading causes of death world wide.

To take control of your health, it’s important to know:

What is fiber
What are the benefits of fiber
How much fiber you need to be healthy
The best sources of fiber for cancer prevention

But with only 5% of the U.S. population getting enough fiber, we have a major fiber gap.

What is fiber

As mentioned earlier, fiber is a "healthy" type of carbohydrate to eat with many health benefits.

"BUt I tHoUGht CaRBbs AreE BAd FOr YoU?” 😩

No, carbs are not necessarily bad for you.

In fact, there are many benefits to eating carbs, and fiber is a great example of a carb that is extremely healthy for you to eat.

Unlike most carbohydrates, fiber does not break down into sugar. Instead, it goes undigested and helps promote healthy bowel movements while reducing cancer risk.

There are 2 types of fiber.

Soluble fiber, which dissolves in water.
Examples of soluble fibers include: oatmeal, chia seeds, nuts, beans, lentils, apples, and blueberries.
Insoluble fiber, which does not dissolve in water:
Examples of insoluble fibers include: quinoa, brown rice, legumes, leafy greens like kale, almonds, walnuts, seeds, and the skin of edible fruits pears and apples.

Both types of fiber provide many health benefits and have been associated with cancer prevention.

Benefits of fiber on health and cancer prevention

Many epidemiological studies have found that eating dietary fiber is associated with a lower risk of:

💔 Heart Disease
🎅 T2 Diabetes
🦀 Cancer

A 2019 analysis of almost 250 studies demonstrated that eating more fiber reduced the risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and/or colon cancer.

Another unspoken great benefit of fiber is the added affect it has on fat loss.

Fiber is a type of carb that helps make fat loss easier by:

Reducing sugar cravings
Getting full quicker
Staying full longer

Most of our online coaching clients are able to lose 2-5 lb of fat just by increasing their fiber at each meal.

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How much fiber do you need for health

On average, most Americans get ~15 grams of fiber a day, but the recommended guidelines to maintain a healthy fiber intake is about 14-15 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories.

In general, you should get ~25-30 grams of fiber a day, and you can enough fiber in your day by following the 3/2 rule.

3/2 Rule = 3 Veggies & 2 Fruits a day = ~daily fiber need.

Therefore, choosing foods high in fiber is extremely important for a proper diet.

But the best source of getting your fiber is real food.

With the rise in cancer among young adults and longer cancer survivorship, there is a 95% chance you are not eating enough fiber.

Disclaimer:
Always talk to a registered dietician before following any specific nutritional guidelines, as they may not be suited for your specific needs or condition.

So make sure to talk with a dietician to know how much you as an individual should be getting.

Foods high in fiber for health and cancer prevention

On average, if you ate an additional 10 g of fiber a day, you could decrease your risk of early death by 10%.

But where can you get more fiber from?🧐

Real food:
🌾 whole grains
🍎 whole fruits
🥕 vegetables
🥜 legumes
🌰 nuts
Notice I didn’t say green powders or fruits capsules.😉

Here are a few examples of fruits naturally high in fiber that can help with cancer prevention:

1 cup of guava (9 g of fiber)
1 large pear with skin (7 g of fiber)
1 cup of mangos (5 g of fiber)
1/2 medium avocado (5 g of fiber)
1/2 cup fresh berries (4 g of fiber)

Here are a few examples of vegetables naturally high in fiber that are great for improving your health:

1 cup of cooked Brussels sprouts (6 g of fiber)
1 cup of cooked kale (6 g of fiber)
1 cup of cooked sweet potato (6 g of fiber)
1 cup of cooked collard greens (5.6 g of fiber)
1 cup of cooked broccoli (5.2 g of fiber)
1 cup of cooked carrots (4.8 g of fiber)

Here are a few examples of legumes naturally high in fiber :

1 cup of cooked green peas (8.8 g of fiber)
1/2 cup cooked beans (7.5 g of fiber)
1/4 cup of almonds (3.5 g of fiber)

Regardless of the source you get it from, research shows a reduced risk of cancer and an improvement in your health when you eat between 25 g and 29 g of fiber a day.

Practical tips for health and cancer prevention

Hippocrates once said,

“all disease begins in the gut.”

and now thousands of years later, we know that:

What you eat affects your cells, arteries, heart, energy, fat loss, muscle, gut, and overall health.
Gut health is important for a healthy well-being and cancer prevention.
Fiber is important for proper gut health.

With 95% of the population not getting enough fiber, we have a massive gap in fiber intake, so here are our top 4 tips to get more fiber in your day.

1. If you eat breakfast, add fruits, nuts/seeds, and if you can, vegetables.

👉 Fruits, nuts/seeds go great in Greek yogurt.
👉 Veggies are great on omelets or potatoes.

2. Have beans and veggies with your meals.

👉 You can add different types of beans and vegetables to chili.
👉 Add veggies and beans to rice, nachos, tacos, burritos, or soup.

3. Add berries, nuts, and seeds to salads.

4. Snack on fruits and vegetables throughout the day.

👉 Broccoli, carrots, celery, and peppers are great to snack on with hummus, salsa, guacamole, or ranch.

There are plenty of ways to get creative and get more fiber in, but what matters is that you apply one tip at a time.

Lastly, don't don’t forget to share this with a friend ❤️