Come on baby, light my fiber! The benefits of fiber are far reaching. Fiber is probably one of those buzzwords you have heard a million times, but you really don’t know what it is, where it comes from and why it matters to you. Dietary fiber, also known as roughage, is the indigestible portion of plant foods. There are two types of fiber – soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber clings on to fatty acids. It also lengthens the amount of time so sugar is released and absorbed at a slower pace. Soluble fiber is found in oat/oat bran, nuts, dried beans, barley, flax seed, oranges and apples and carrots. It’s soluble fiber that reduces total cholesterol, as well as bad cholesterol. Soluble fiber also assists in regulating blood sugar, which is beneficial to people with diabetes. Insoluble fiber helps transport bulk through the intestines. It also keeps the pH in the intestines balanced. Insoluble fiber is found in green beans, dark green leafy vegetables, fruit skins, whole-wheat products, wheat oat, corn bran and nuts. Among the perks of insoluble fiber are regular bowel movements and prevent constipation. It also assists in passing toxic waste through the colon and prevents colon cancer. From digestion to diabetes to cancer, fiber is responsible for improving these conditions. So how much is enough? A person should consume 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day. While many people get their daily intake of fiber from fruits and vegetables, high-fiber cereals such as All Bran (1/3 cup = 8.5 grams), Fiber One (1/2 cup = 14 grams) and 100% Bran (1/2 cup = 8.4 grams) are all optimum sources for fiber.