A diet rich in dietary fiber can beneficially affect one`s health. Based on recent research, dietry fiber can decrease risk and frequency of noncommunicable diseases. According to the recommendations, the daily intake of dietary fiber for the elderly should be at least 30 g per day. Studies showed that elderly’s dietary fiber intake is usually too low, which increases the risk of developing noncommunicable diseases. It would be reasonable to encourage the elderly to consume higher amounts of dietary fiber, as they are most prone to the development of noncommunicable diseases resulting from aging and unhealthy lifestyle, including insufficient consumption of dietary fiber. Studies show that insufficient fiber intake can increase the risk of constipation, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, breast cancer, chronic kidney disease, depression and other mental disorders. As many people as possible, also the elderly, should be educated about the importance of consuming dietary fiber. Each person with sufficient intake of foods rich in dietary fiber could influence the improvement of their overall health. The aim of the thesis is to study the relevant literature about dietary fiber intake among the elderly and to determine whether the dietary fiber intake in the elderly meets the recommendations. Additionally we wanted to examine how sufficient dietary fiber intake affects the improvement of some diseases.
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