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Dietary fiber is not a nutrient, but it is necessary to regulate digestion and appears to prevent some epidemiological diseases.
In addition to simple and complex carbohydrates, many plants that we eat for food contain cellulose, which is not broken down, digested and used by our body. It is tough and stringy and is essential for regulating the body. It is called dietary fiber. The cellulose strings in a stalk of celery is a good visible example.
Dietary fiber is a non-nutrient because it is not digested or absorbed by the body. It helps to move food through the body and aids digestion by attracting water to the small and large intestines, and the water increases bulk in foods and keeps the mass of fiber, food particles, digestive juices soft and moving though the system.
Fiber is thought to be a protective agent for certain diseases, including colon cancer, diverticulosis, and coronary heart disease. Because so many of the foods eaten in the United States are processed and refined, much of the fiber-rich parts are removed. MyPyramid recognizes this and suggests that one half of choices from the Grains Group be whole grains. Whole grains, raw fruits and vegetables are the best sources of fiber as are legumes, nuts and seeds. Foods from animals, such as meat, milk, eggs, and cheese do not contain fiber.
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