“High Fiber” in Processed Foods

Question: "I see highly processed foods touted as high in fiber, when the fiber would likely be destroyed in processing. What's going on?"—Orc Jones, via e-mail

Answer: While the fiber counts look impressive on a food label, so-called isolated fibers, like inulin or oat bran, have not been under the research microscope long enough to determine if they are as effective as their whole, intact counterparts. I would wait until nutrition science can determine a health benefit of these "fibers" before spending money on them. Your best bet: Obtain fiber from whole, unprocessed foods.

See more: Meet Your Fiber Needs and Fiber Fundamentals