Dietary Fiber is a Vital Nutrient
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Compare that to the National Cancer Institute's suggested daily fiber intake of between 25 and 35 grams!
In developing countries, 60 grams of total dietary fiber is an average intake per day, and many health specialists recommend 50 grams daily for optimal health. (See table below on food high in fiber.)
A multitude of scientific studies have been conducted over the last 20 years, which show the major importance that dietary fiber plays in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases or conditions.
A low fiber diet has been implicated in appendicitis, cancer of the breast, prostate, colon,
and rectum, elevated cholesterol, gallstones, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease,
diabetes, hemorrhoids, constipation, obesity, etc.
In "Dietary prevention of breast cancer", a paper published in 1990, D.P. Rose and J. M.
Connolly indicated that the approach to breast cancer prevention should include an
increase in fiber consumption to 25 or 30 grams a day.
Apple cider vinegar and apples, like all the fruits, vegetables, and whole grains we eat,
contain soluble and insoluble fiber. (Meat, eggs, and milk products have no fiber)
Soluble fiber such as pectin, gums, and mucilage all dissolve in water. They lower
cholesterol, reduce heart disease risk, improve blood sugar, lower blood pressure, and
they promote the growth of friendly flora.
Insoluble fiber such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin aid digestion, aid elimination,
promote regularity, and contribute to bowel cleaning.
A normal serving of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will have anything from about 2
to 9 grams of total fiber. While a processed food like a slice of white bread for example, looses
over 64% of its fiber content, retaining only 0.5 grams dietary fiber.
Since overwhelming evidence links a high level of dietary fiber to health, why not incorporate not just apple cider vinegar, but more of the following high fiber food into your daily eating habits and aim for the recommended 50 grams of dietary fiber per day:
| Food | Portion | Total Fiber (grams) |
| GRAINS | ||
| Bread, seven-grain | 1 Slice | 3.2 |
| Bread, whole wheat | 1 Slice | 1.4 |
| Bread, pumpernickel | 1 Slice | 1.3 |
| Buckwheat | 1 Cup | 9.6 |
| Oatmeal | 1 Cup | 15.4 |
| LEGUMES | ||
| Chickpeas | 1 Cup | 12.0 |
| Green beans | 1 Cup | 4.2 |
| Kidney beans | 1 Cup | 11.6 |
| Lentils | 1 Cup | 6.4 |
| Lima beans | 1 Cup | 8.8 |
| Peas | 1 Cup | 18.2 |
| Pinto beans | 1 Cup | 10.6 |
| NUTS | ||
| Almonds | 100 Grams | 5.3 |
| Chestnuts, w/peel | 1 Cup | 14.5 |
| Peanuts | 100 Grams | 8.0 |
| walnuts | 100 Grams | 5.2 |
| VEGETABLES | ||
| Asparagus | 1 Cup | 3.4 |
| Artichoke | 1 Large | 4.5 |
| Beets | 1 Cup | 5.0 |
| Broccoli | 1 Cup | 4.0 |
| Carrots | 1 Cup | 4.6 |
| Corn on the cob | 1 Medium | 5.0 |
| Potato | 1 Medium | 3.8 |
| Rice, brown | 1 Cup | 11.0 |
| Spinach | 1 Cup | 14.0 |
| Yams | 1 Medium | 6.8 |
| FRUITS | ||
| Apple | 1 Medium | 2.8 |
| Banana | 1 Medium | 2.0 |
| Dates | 2 Medium | 1.2 |
| Figs | 1 Medium | 2.0 |
| Grapefruit | 1 Medium | 1.6 |
| Orange | 1 Small | 1.2 |
| Peach | 1 Medium | 2.3 |
| Pear | 1 Medium | 6.0 |
| Prunes | 3 Medium | 1.9 |
| Raspberries | 1 Cup | 9.1 |
by Betty Kamen, Ph.D.
