High-fiber foods generally have five or more grams of fiber per serving. Eating a diet with sufficient fiber offers several potential benefits, including protecting against colon cancer, lowering LDL or bad cholesterol and helping to prevent heart disease and diabetes, according to the Nemours Foundation.

Bloating is usually caused by the breakdown of food through the digestion process or by swallowed air. When trapped gas is unable to pass through flatulence or belching, it can accumulate in the intestines and stomach, leading to bloating. Abdominal pain is often coupled with bloating and can be dull, mild or sharp.

A diet high in fiber improves digestion and bowel movement regularity, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. A daily intake of 21 to 25 grams for women and 30 to 38 grams for men is recommended. Whole grains, legumes, fruit and vegetables provide fiber in a well-balanced diet.

Bite into a juicy apple or a sweet pear and part of what you're eating is cellulose, a component of plant foods that is indigestible by the human body. It might not seem intuitive that something your body can't digest can benefit your health, but it can.

Just like a street sweeper goes through your neighborhood picking up rubbish in the gutter, insoluble fiber sweeps through your gut, pushing waste along. It helps you have regular bowel movements, which reduces your chances of having hemorrhoids or diverticular disease that can cause painful inflammation.

In any detox program, it's important to make sure that the wastes being drawn from the body are able to leave the body as well. Psyllium husk acts as a natural laxative, and is an ingredient in Metamucil. Psyllium husk comes from the seed of the plant Plantago ovata.