Soluble Fiber: Not just for pooping anymore.

I'm the king of fiber. I'm so obsessed with it, in fact, that I've often caught my five-year-old spreading my word to the masses as she lectures her friends on the importance of eating apples and broccoli daily because "they help you make good poops."

So it is with great joy that I announce another benefit of soluble fiber. According to a study to be published in the May 2010 issue of Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, it also strengthens your immune system.

"Soluble fiber changes the personality of immune cells -- they go from being pro-inflammatory, angry cells to anti-inflammatory, healing cells that help us recover faster from infection," said Gregory Freund, a professor in the U of I's College of Medicine and a faculty member in the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences' Division of Nutritional Sciences.

This happens because soluble fiber causes increased production of an anti-inflammatory protein called interleukin-4, he said.

But keep in mind that we're talking soluble fiber here, the kind that not only slows sugar absorption and softens stool, but also turns to a gel in your gut and soaks up cholesterol. All that and boosts your immunity? Rock and roll! You'll find soluble fiber in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, lentils, citrus fruits, apples, strawberries, and carrots, among other things.

It's always a thrill when you learn your lifestyle is even more healthy than you thought it was. I'm just so excited I can hardly type. I'm going to go celebrate with a big mouthful of oat bran.

And for the record, yes, I am extremely proud of that headline.