High fiber diets: their role in gastrointestinal disorders.

High fiber diets may help prevent colon cancer and be used to treat constipation, diverticular disease, irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease. Some research indicates that cholelithiasis, duodenal ulcers, hemorrhoids and hiatal hernias may be prevented or treated with dietary fiber. However, many claims about fiber's usefulness lack scientific validation. Physicians can help patients establish goals for the amount of fiber they eat and advise them to record their daily intake of fiber. Doctors can also help patients select high fiber foods which fit their lifestyles, warn of possible side effects such as gas, abdominal pain and malabsorption of some nutrients, and advise them to exercise and drink adequate amounts of fluid. Children can be encouraged to eat whole grain breads, high-fiber snacks and natural bran hidden in cooked cereals, cookies and ground meat recipes. The physician or dietician should follow up patients to ensure their continued compliance.