Project Summary: >> Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton is back to tell us where you can actually get more fiber and is it actually the fountain of youth? Now this new research says it can make a big difference, so how much of an upgrade in fiber do we need? >> And it really looks like that Chris. This is reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine; very reputable medical journal. They looked at several hundred thousand men and women, asked them to report what they ate, and they found that the men and women who consumed diets very high in fiber reduced their risk of dying from all causes by 22 percent; reduced the risk of death from respiratory and heart disease by 60 percent. What's very significant in this study, we've known that its good for heart disease, this is really the first time that it's been shown to reduce the risk significantly of death from respiratory and infectious diseases as well and that is significant. >> And fiber is always, of course, linked to weight loss which is also...it's a benefit for that and it can lower your risk of premature death. >> Right and the thinking here is we know that if you eat diets that are high in fiber, you tend to then see a lessening of your risk of diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol and that, therefore, explains the reduction in dying from heart disease which is the number one cause of death in men and women. What's significant is that it's also been theorized to reduce inflammation and help your body rid itself of toxins that can then lead to death from other causes; so certain types of cancers, respiratory issues, and infectious diseases. >> USDA says we're not getting enough fiber, but how do we know how much fiber we actually need, how much we're actually having during the course of the day... >> Right. >> ...and what do we need? >> We're not even coming close. In fact the average American is really getting about 15 grams of fiber a day which is about the equivalent of a pear or a piece of fruit and two whole grain...you know English muffins. >> Uh-huh. >> What you need if you're a woman is 25 grams of fiber a day and if you're a man, 38 grams of fiber a day. So this needs to be put on the top of your priority list in terms of what you're eating. >> So you need to up the ante. I think most of us when we think of fiber, we think of like a bran cereal or something like that. But there are so many different foods that actually do qualify as fiber foods. >> Right. And there are a lot of foods that you can get this fiber in, anywhere from fresh fruits; berries have a lot of good fiber. Anything where whole grain is the first or second ingredient, you're going to be seeing a lot of that so that's oatmeal's, certain types of fortified cereals, breads, quinoa; all of those whole grains really pack a punch when you're talking about your fiber intake. >> So if you actually think you're eating a lot of fiber now, basically you really need to almost...you need to add to it considerably. >> Exactly and we have a saying in medicine you know when we ask about certain types of food and beverage consumption, take what the patient tells us and double it. In this case you want to take what you're doing and pretty much double that. Look for the fiber content in your foods and really, really make it a priority. It's so important. >> Let's say you can't eat all this food and you want to add more bread to your diet; how about supplements? >> You know supplements are something we hear about a lot. It's always best to get it from the actual food source. But if you feel like you need to take a supplement, discuss it with your doctor because it can affect the absorption of certain medications. >> Dr. Jennifer Ashton, thank you much. This is the transcript from the video above After watching the video: 1.Comment on your own fiber content; indicate where you are getting your fiber. 2.Discuss the different types of fiber and describe what foods in your diet are water soluble and insoluble fibers. 3.If fiber is so important to health, why is it so hard for people to get enough fiber in their diets?