Corn bran and hard red spring wheat bran have been shown to reduce cholesterol in humans. Undoubtedly, though, diverticulosis, a ballooning of tiny portions of the intestinal wall that usually strikes in middle age, has been sharply increasing for 75 years. And the increase almost directly parallels the change in diet. Diverticulitis, the acute form of diverticulosis in which infection breaks out in one of the tiny pockets, is also on the increase. Thecauses of diverticular disease have not been definitely established, but gastroenterologists now routinely prescribe a high-fiber diet to relieve the symptoms.
All whole grains are rich in fiber - as are many fruits and vegetables.
Rolled oats, whole wheat, brown rice and buckwheat groats all contain large amounts of fiber. When grain is milled in the modern way, however, most of the fiber is lost. Both the bran, the outer layer of the kernel, and the endosperm, the germ or central portion, have been removed from the white flour. The best vegetable sources of fiber are the leafy vegetables -asparagus, celery, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and lettuce. Root vegetables like carrots, radishes and turnips also have high amounts of fiber, as do yams, beans, peas and corn.