Jack (of beanstalk fame) isn’t the only person with magic beans. Anyone who regularly eats black beans, kidney beans, soybeans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, navy beans, white beans or lima beans will benefit from the magic of viscous fiber.
There are so many reasons to love berries. They’re naturally sweet, bite-sized and chock-full of key nutrients — fiber being one of them. One cup of blackberries, raspberries or strawberries supplies about 1 gram of viscous fiber.
No diet is complete without a healthy mix of vegetables. Broccoli, however, is especially beneficial for a heart-healthy diet because it’s high in soluble fiber.
Flaxseeds contain a group of plant-derived compounds called phytosterols. When consumed, phytosterols compete with cholesterol in the intestines, thereby reducing the amount of cholesterol that gets absorbed.
In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of an oat beta-glucan health claim, which allows food manufacturers to say their oat products have cholesterol-lowering effects.
While all nuts are beneficial, peanuts have one of the highest concentrations of phytosterols, providing 220 milligrams of phytosterols per 100 grams of peanuts (about 3.5 ounces).
Sweet potatoes are considered a starchy vegetable. Starchy means they are high in carbohydrates which is why someone with diabetes may need to watch their portions of sweet potatoes.