Fiber fends off GI infections

So say scientists in the journal Cell. In an in vivo study, they discovered that mice who didn’t eat fiber had significantly more intestinal inflammation when infected with an E. coli–like pathogen than mice on a high-fiber diet. Study author Eric Martens, Ph.D., explains that when gut bacteria that digest fiber are deprived of it, they begin to eat away at the gut’s protective lining, raising infection risk. Experts advise eating 25 grams of fiber a day from sources like beans, berries and whole grains.