Back in the 1940s, Dr. Denis Burkitt began to notice the importance of diet to good health. Working as a surgeon in East Africa, he rarely saw conditions,
like constipation, hemorrhoids, and appendicitis, that were widespread in the Western world. He came to believe the amount of fiber, or roughage, people eat
could explain why.
Fiber is the part of fruits, vegetables, and grains your body canntt digest. There are basically two kinds, both important in keeping you healthy. Soluble
fiber which dissolves easily in water and becomes a soft gel in your intestines. Insoluble fiber which remains unchanged as it speeds up your food’s trip
through your digestive system.
In his book, Eat Right – To Stay Healthy and Enjoy Life More, published over 20 years ago, Burkitt pointed out that people in developing nations tended to
eat about 60 grams of fiber a day. In Western countries, the average amount was about 20 grams.
Today fiber intake is even lower. According to the National Institutes of Health, Americans eat only 5 to 20 grams of fiber a day. If you are among those
eating the lowest amounts, you fall far short of the recommended 20 to 35 grams. Many nutritionists believe you’d be healthier with the higher amounts
