Dietary fiber is the part of plant foods that you eat but that your body cannot digest, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Fiber helps you maintain normal bowel habits and a healthy weight, protects your heart, and fuels the beneficial bacteria in your intestine.

Cooked soybeans contain 6 grams of fiber for a 100-gram serving, which is equivalent to almost a ½ cup. The fiber in soy helps to lower cholesterol levels, states the academy. Soy fiber may also increase stool weight, which may correlate with reduced risk of colon cancer.