The optimal amount of fiber

You’ve hit the Mega Millions jackpot of meta-studies. But while Jan. 1 this year saw a winning ticket for $425 million (it hit that sum just about two months after a record-breaking $1.527 billion prize), this metastudy took a bit longer to make its splash.

Published in the journal The Lancet, the mega-paper “Carbohydrate Quality and Human Health” covers 40 years of data. The aim? To let you know the right amount of daily fiber to help stave off cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and Type 2 diabetes.

Researchers found that 25-29 grams of dietary fiber daily produced the best outcomes. Folks consuming that much were 15 to 30 percent less likely to die prematurely from all causes and had a 16 to 24 percent lower incidence of heart disease, stroke, colon cancer and Type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, the average American consumes only 15 grams a day.

How to up your intake? Replace refined grains with 100 percent whole-grain breads and cereals. Tip: Cook whole-grain pasta, sweet potatoes and other starches in the evening, then eat them for breakfast or lunch the next day. They become resistant starches, acting like fiber in you.

Other ways: The American Academy of Family Physicians suggests that you aim for 2 cups of fruits and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables and 1/2 cup cooked beans daily. Your goal, they say, is to take in 5 grams of fiber in every serving of plant-based foods you eat.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare.com.