Q: What’s the recommended daily intake of fiber and can pecans help me reach the recommended amount?
A: The current recommended daily intake for fiber is 25 grams. When shopping for high-fiber foods, you’ll see it expressed as a percentage of the Daily Value (DV) on Nutrition Facts labels. Compare the DV of 25 grams to the average American intake, which is only about 14 to 15 grams a day. Georgia pecans can help you fill the gap. They are a good source of fiber and can make a significant contribution to your daily fiber intake by providing 11 percent of the DV (2.7 grams) per 1 ounce serving (19 pecan halves). Why do you need so much fiber? Some research, including a recent Japanese study of more than 43,000 men and women who were followed for 7 1/2 years, suggests that diets high in fiber may help reduce the risk of colon cancer. And in a recent seven-year study of 35,000 women, English researchers found that fiber intakes even higher than the DV, as much as 30 grams a day, were linked with a 50 percent reduction in the risk of developing breast cancer. Getting 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day can be challenging unless you include lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grain, legumes and nuts, like Georgia pecans, in your daily diet.
