Also called: Bulk · Roughage
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Dietary Fiber
Fiber is a substance in plants. Dietary fiber is the kind you eat. It's a type of carbohydrate. You may also see it listed on a food label as soluble fiber or insoluble fiber. Both types have important health benefits.
Good sources of dietary fiber include:
- Whole grains
- Nuts and seeds
- Fruit and vegetables
Dietary fiber adds bulk to your diet and makes you feel full faster, helping you control your weight. It helps digestion and helps prevent constipation. Most Americans don't eat enough dietary fiber. But add it to your diet slowly. Increasing dietary fiber too quickly can lead to gas, bloating, and cramps.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
It sits within Food and Nutrition.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Dietary Fiber
1,008 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- The Effectiveness Of Home-Based Circuit Training On Eye Pressure And Eye Nerve Structures In Patients With GlaucomaUniversiti Sains Malaysia
- Clinical Study on High-fiber Diet and Short-term Fasting in Melanoma Under Immunotherapy With Checkpoint InhibitionCharite University, Berlin, Germany
- The Impact of Pectin Supplementation on Systematic Inflammation Pathway, Gut Microbiome, and Metabolic Health in Patients With Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)University of Nottingham
- Restorative and Periodontal Evaluation of Fiber-Reinforced Periodontal SplintsEmre Taşlı
- Dietary Fiber to Induce Gut Microbiota-mediated Response to Immunotherapy in Melanoma.Radboud University Medical Center
- Prebiotic Inulin for Late-Reproductive IndividualsGeorge Washington University
Research already completed
- Gene First Approach to Connective Tissue DiseaseNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- Effect of Infant Formulas Containing a New Fat Blend or the New Fat Blend Plus Fiber in Healthy Term InfantsSociété des Produits Nestlé (SPN)
- Clinical Performance of Restorations in Teeth Affected by Molar Incisor HypomineralizationMarmara University
- Glass Fiber-Reinforced Composite Resin Versus Band-and-Loop Space Maintainers in Children: A Split-Mouth Clinical StudyAli Assiry
- Avocado and Postprandial ResponsesUniversity of Vermont Medical Center
- Flexible Bronchoscopy in Resistant Pneumonia in PICUMansour Gomaa Mohammed Saleh
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy DietMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Easy Ways to Boost Fiber in Your Daily DietAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- Rough Up Your Diet: Fit More Fiber Into Your DayNational Institutes of Health
Related Issues
- Fiber Supplements: Safe to Take Every Day?Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Fiber: The Carb that Helps You Manage DiabetesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Dietary Fiber. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Dietary Fiber, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.