In The 6 Essential Nutrients to Have a Balanced Diet, I have mentioned that some say this should actually be “the 7 essential nutrients” because dietary fiber should be included as well. This poses of course the question “What is the function of dietary fiber?”.
Our ancestors had a diet rich in fiber. Gradually, a large part of our food has been refined and stripped of nutrients and fibers.
In the US, 40% of the inhabitants eat fast food every day, which does not contain any fiber. In Europe, most people eat an average of 15 grams of fiber per day, which should be double the amount.