Top 5 Fruits for Dietary Fiber

Getting enough dietary fiber is a key to your digestive health. Fiber is needed to move food efficiently through your intestines, prevent indigestion and aggregation of toxins. Your recommended daily value of dietary fiber is 25 grams, but you are encouraged to take as much as 35 grams if you have irritable bowel syndrome, constipation or have a family history of heart disease or colon cancer. A high fiber diet is also conducive to weight loss and diabetic control. Eating 3 to 4 servings of fruits per day is one of the easiest ways to ensure adequate fiber intake and build up on other essential nutrients. Below are the top five fiber-dense fruits to keep in mind.

1. Raspberries

Raspberries are at the top of the list of high fiber fruits. Each cup of raspberries contains about 8 grams of dietary fiber which is more than 1/3 of your total daily need. Raspberries also contain health promoting nutrients including vitamins C and B-complex, manganese, copper, magnesium and iron. These berries may be delicate, but they are a superpower of disease prevention with a variety of phyto-antioxidants including catechins, anthocyanin, ellagic acid and quercetin. Eating raspberries can effectively defend against inflammation, diabetes, cancer and age-related degenerative diseases.

2. Pears

Pears are considered a natural laxative. They are high fiber content--especially insoluble fiber. An average sized pear contributes more than 5 grams of fiber, 3 of which are insoluble. Insoluble fiber draws water from your intestines into the food, making you feel fuller and accelerates its movement through your gut. For these reasons, eating pears are great for appetite suppression, weight loss and for treating constipation. Pears are also good for blood pressure and cholesterol control as well as prevention of inflammatory diseases.

3. Blueberries

Top your yogurt or salad with a handful of blueberries and you can add a wondrous amount of fiber and other nutrition to your food. A cupful of blueberries can deliver about 4 grams of fiber and more than a quarter of your daily need for vitamins C, K and manganese. Blueberries are also strongly anti-inflammatory and anti-cancerous. Their high contents of flavonols, tannins and other phyto-antioxidants gives these berries the natural ability to lower cholesterol, fight off infections, suppress tumor growth and protect against degenerative neurological diseases.

4. Grapefruits

Grapefruits are extremely filling and are wonderful for appetite control. They are capable of boosting your metabolism, especially your ability to burn fat. Grapefruits also contain a tremendous amount of vitamin C, folate and lycopene. These nutrients are effective in reducing your cholesterol and stress levels, deterring the aging process and defending you against bacterial and fungal infections.

5. Plums

The fiber content of plums varies depending on how you eat them. Raw plums are not very impressive with just under 2 grams in each fruit. Cooking your plums helps release significant amount of extra fiber with as much as 8 grams of fiber per cupful of stewed plums. Preserved plums are even more impressive. These can give you more than 12 grams in each cup. Whether eaten raw, stewed or preserved, plums have been proven as an effective remedy for constipation and other digestive disorders.