For Enough Fiber, You Need the ‘Right Carbs’

For decades, doctors, dietitians, and others have been encouraging people to get enough fiber in their diets.

A growing body of evidence suggests that fiber plays an important role in promoting good health and preventing chronic illness.

According to a recent series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses published this month in The Lancet, people with the highest-fiber diets have 15 to 30 percent lower all-cause and cardiovascular-related mortality than people with the lowest-fiber diets.

People who eat more fiber are also less likely to develop coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or colorectal cancer, according to researchers.

Higher fiber intake was also linked to lower body weight and cholesterol.

“The study does not surprise us as science has reported health benefits of fiber for some time,” Kristi L. King, MPH, RDN, CNSC, LD, a dietitian at Texas Children’s Hospital and national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, told Healthline.

“But it does emphasize the magnitude of benefits a high-fiber diet provides,” she added.