Top Ten High Fiber Cereals

Most Americans do not get enough fiber. If you don't get enough fiber, you can suffer from constipation, infrequent stools, hard stools, and abominal pain in addition to being at higher a risk for certain conditions.

The average American eats 11 to 15 grams of fiber per day. That is half the amount of dietary fiber recommended per day. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) recommends an adult gets 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day. To calclulate how much fiber a child needs, mulitiply their age in years by five. If you can incorporate even more fiber than this in your diet, it's even better.

Fiber is the undigestible part of plant foods. There are two types of fiber: insoluble and soluble. Whereas insoluble fiber cannot be disolved in water, soluble fiber can be dissolved in water. Insoluble fiber is composed of cellulose and hemicellulose. It can be found in fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

On the other hand, soluble fiber is composed of pectins, gums, and mucilages. Soluble fiber binds to the bile acids in the small intestine. It can reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood, and in large amounts, it can slow glucose absorption from the small intestine. Although researchers don't fully understand the interrelationship between bile acids and glucose metabolism, when research particpants with hyperlipidemia were given bile acid sequestrants (a medication that binds bile acids and removes them from the body through fecal elimination) to reduce LDL cholesterol, glucose levels were also reduced in participants with Type II diabetes. Bile acids are produced by the liver and aid in the absorption of fat and fat-soluble vitamins in the small intestine and help eliminate certain waste products from the body through fecal elimination. Consequently, the two types of fiber can reduce cardiovascular disease, comstipation, hemmorhoids, colon cancer, and is helpful in lowering blood sugar levels.

Between the two types of fiber, soluble fiber is even more important to your health than insoluble fiber. You should strive for a 1:1 ratio between the two types of fiber.

If you don't eat enough fiber in your diet, one of the easiest ways to add more fiber is through high fiber cereals. The following are some of the highest fiber cereals on the market.

• Bran Buds by Kelloggs 33 grams
• All Bran with Extra Fiber by Kellogs 31 grams
• Fiber One by General Mills 28.5 grams
• 100% Bran by 19.5 grams
• All Bran by Kellogs 19.5 grams
• Kashi Vive 12 grams
• Grape Nuts by Post 11 grams
• Natural Bran Flakes by Post 9 grams
• Multi-bran Chex 8 grams
• Raisin Bran by Post 8 grams
• Fiber One Frosted Shredded Wheat 

Fiber is beneficial in weight loss, improving elimination, reducing cardiovascular disease and colon cancer, and improving blood sugar levels in Type II diabetics. The ADA recommends the average adult consume between 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day; although most Americans only get between 11-15 grams per day. Consequently, if you don't consume enough fiber, high fiber breakfast cereals can play a major role in getting enough fiber per day. For instance, one serving of Bran Buds would provide the entire recommended daily amount of fiber.