Adding fiber-rich dips like guacamole, salsa, bean dip and hummus to your snack rotation can help, too. Avocado is one of the highest-fiber fruits you can eat, said Elizabeth Klingbeil, a dietitian and assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Texas at Austin. A half-cup of puréed avocado contains about eight grams.

High cholesterol levels increase the risk of heart disease, but they can often be lowered through diet and lifestyle choices.

Fiber that naturally occurs in whole foods provides other nutrients like vitamins, minerals, plant compounds, and water, Petitpain said. However, "fake" or isolated fibers are extracted from plants or made in a lab and then added to foods to boost the fiber content on the nutrition label.

Despite fiber’s remarkable benefits, most of us don’t get nearly enough. The amount considered adequate is 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories eaten — which translates to 28 grams a day for a standard 2,000-calorie diet. But Americans get a paltry 16 grams of fiber daily, on average.

Several studies link higher fiber intake to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, a chronic disease that affects an estimated 462 million people worldwide. Younkin says research shows that eating 30 grams of fiber per day may also lessen the severity of type 2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity and inflammation.

Whenever you had trouble with bowel movements growing up, your mother probably told you to eat more fiber. She wasn't wrong. However, dietary fiber — found mostly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes — offers other health benefits as well.

Share on Pinterest Foods with fiber are usually part of a healthy diet, but for some people with IBD they can be problematic. fcafotodigital/Getty Images Fiber is an important part of a healthy diet for most people, aiding and protecting the body in ...

In a recent study published in Medicine in Microecology, researchers reviewed how dietary fibers modulate the composition and function of gut microbiota. Study: The gut microbiome: linking dietary fiber to inflammatory diseases. Image Credit: Alpha Tauri ...