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[[File:Salad.jpg|right|thumb|400px|A salad is a great way of getting fiber.]]

=Weight Loss and Fiber=

* Fiber can slow the emptying of the stomach, and delay the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. This produces a feeling of fullness for longer<ref name="Sepple-1989"/> and fiber (30g/day) reduces hunger from low calorie diets<ref name="Astrup-1990"/>.

* Higher fiber intake is linked to long term weight control<ref name="Du-2010"/><ref name="Appleby-1998"/><ref name="Miller-1994"/><ref name="Davis-2006"/>.

* Calories from fiber that is fermented varies between 1.5 and 2.5 Calories/gram<ref name="Smith-1998"/><ref name="Livesey-1990"/>.

* Fiber reduces the [[Glycemic Index]] of foods, which may be why fiber reduces subsequent hunger<ref name="Holt-1992"/><ref name="Bourdon-1999"/><ref name="Leathwood-1988"/>.

* Fiber reduces the energy that is absorbed from other (non-fiber) food<ref name="Heaton-1973"/>.

=Other Health Benefits=

There are a number of other health benefits from increased fiber intake.

* Some, but not all, types of fiber will reduce constipation. For instance, Guar Gum is highly fermentable and does not change stool consistency<ref name="Slavin-1987"/>.

* Some types of fiber can normalize cholesterol levels<ref name="USDAFiber"/>.

* Fiber may provide protection against colorectal cancer, though the evidence is not conclusive<ref name="Bingham-2003"/><ref name="Park-2005"/>. In addition, fiber may protect against breast cancer<ref name="Dong-2011"/>.

=Increasing Your Fiber Intake=

There are several ways of classifying fiber<ref name="FiberPauling"/>:

=Sources of Fiber=

Many good sources of fiber are also generally considered healthy foods, and there is a sample list below. In addition, it's worth noting that when pasta or rice is cooked and then left to go cold, some of the carbohydrate changes to form 'resistant starch', a form of fiber. A cup of cold pasta for instance, contains about 1.9 grams of resistant starch<ref name="NDWheat"/>.

==Legumes (beans)==

[[File:Beans.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

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==Grains==

[[File:Pasta.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

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==Vegetables==

[[File:SaladVeg.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

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==Fruits==

[[File:FruitPears.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

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==Nuts==

[[File:Nuts.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

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=Flatulence=

Flatulence (gas) is a constant source of both humor and embarrassment. Unfortunately, this embarrassment causes people to avoid high fiber foods, even when they understand the benefits. The major components of intestinal gas are nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane, all of which are odorless. The actual odor comes from tiny amounts of compounds such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, other sulfur compounds, short chain fatty acids, etc. Even though only trace amounts are produced, the human nose can detect them in concentrations as low as 1 part in 100 million<ref name="Bolin-1998"/>. The amount of gas produced is proportional to fiber intake, but the intensity of the odor is independent of fiber intake<ref name="Bolin-1998"/>. Other factors, such as beer intake, increases flatulence odor but not quantity<ref name="Bolin-1998"/>. It's well known that beans and other legumes increase flatulence<ref name="Price-1988"/>, so try different sources of fiber to find foods that do not cause problems. Also, live bacteria, which are found in fermented foods such as yoghurt, sauerkraut, etc., may reduce flatulence in people with irritable bowel syndrome<ref name="Nobaek-2000"/><ref name="Niedzielin-2001"/>. Products such as Beano help reduce flatulence<ref name="Ganiats-1994"/>, but there is no evidence to determine if Beano will undermine the benefits of fiber. This is a concern given that Beano works by converting some of the fiber to simple sugars<ref name="Lettieri-"/>.

<ref name="USDAFiber"> USDA, Dietary, Functional, and Total Fiber http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/DRI//DRI_Energy/339-421.pdf </ref>

<ref name="NDWheat"> Resistant Starch http://www.ndwheat.com/uploads%5Cresources%5C635%5Cresistant-starch-fact-sheet.pdf </ref>

</references>