Get Your Fiber - from food

This quick post regarding dietary fiber is my reaction to a commercial for a supplement called Benefiber.  
It is true that most Americans need more fiber in their diets, and it is true that a diet high in fiber is associated with improved health.  
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans list fiber as a nutrient to increase and on page 88, the Guidelines  present a table of foods that are good sources of fiber. The best way to obtain fiber is from food, in fact, there is little, if any, evidence to suggest any benefit from a fiber supplement. Just like any other nutrient, the best place to get it is from your plate.  Choose foods that are naturally high in fiber instead of fiber pills - no matter what the commercial tells you.  The Guidelines do not recommend pills except under the rarest of circumstances, for example, if food is not available.

Notice the many fiber rich foods on the cover - these are the foods we should eat, within our own caloric limits.  The body needs food.