Fiber is an essential nutrient in the human diet. It has been shown to help manage diabetes, prevent cholesterol absorption, and heart disease . The National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine recommends that an adult male consume at least 38 grams of soluble fiber per day, which is the only type of fiber that humans can digest . Insoluble fiber, which is more frequent, passes almost unharmed through the human digestive system and has no nutritional value.