Dietary fiber is found in grains Wholesale Luke Kuechly Jersey , fruits and vegetables. The fibers consist of indigestible parts or plant compounds that pass relatively unchanged in the stomach and intestines. The fiber is mainly carbohydrate. The main role of fiber is to maintain the health of the digestive system.
Other terms for dietary fiber include "loose" and "roughage", which can be misleading because some forms of fiber are water soluble and not bulky or rough at all.
Benefits of Fibre
Dietary fiber is mainly used to maintain the health of the digestive system. It also helps other processes such as stabilizing glucose and cholesterol levels. In countries with traditional high-fiber diets, diseases such as bowel cancer, diabetes, and coronary heart disease are much less than in Western countries.
Most Australians do not have enough fiber. On average Wholesale Cam Newton Jersey , most Australians consume 20-25 grams of fiber per day. The Heart Foundation recommends that adults consume about 25-30 grams per day.
Children between the ages of 4 and 8 should consume 18 grams of fiber per day. Girls aged 9 to 13 and 14 to 18 need 20 grams and 22 grams each day. Men aged 9 to 13 and 14 to 18 years old need 24 grams and 28 grams per day.
Diseases caused by low-fiber diets include:
constipation irritable bowel syndrome diverticulitis heart disease some cancers.
Fiber type in food
There are two types of fiber that we need to eat at the same time in our diet, including:
Soluble fiber - including pectin, gums and mucilage, is found mainly in plant cells. One of its main effects is to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Good sources of soluble fiber include fruits, vegetables Wholesale Christian McCaffrey Jersey , oat bran, barley, seed coat, flaxseed, psyllium Wholesale Jordan Scarlett Jersey , dried beans, lentils, peas, soy milk and soy products. Soluble fiber can also help with constipation.
Insoluble fibers - including cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin Wholesale Christian Miller Jersey , which form part of the plant cell wall. The primary role of insoluble fibers is to increase the volume of feces and prevent constipation and related problems such as acne. Good sources include wheat bran, corn bran, rice bran, skin and vegetable skins, nuts Wholesale Will Grier Jersey , seeds, dried beans and whole grain foods.
Both types of fiber are good for the body, and most plant foods contain a mixture of two types.
Resistant starch
Resistant starch, although traditionally not considered a fiber, functions in a similar manner. Resistant starch is part of a starchy food (about 10%) that is resistant to normal digestion of the small intestine. It is found in many unprocessed grains and grains Wholesale Greg Little Jersey , immature bananas, potatoes and lentils, and is added to bread and breakfast cereals as Hi-Maize. It can also be formed by cooking and manufacturing processes such as rapid freezing.
Resistant starch is also important in gut health. Bacteria in large intestine fermentation turn resistant starch into short-chain fatty acids, which is important for gut health and can prevent cancer. These fatty acids are also absorbed into the bloodstream and may play a role in lowering blood cholesterol levels.
Fiber keeps the digestive tract healthy
The main advantage of a high fiber diet is to improve the health of the digestive system. The digestive system is lined with muscles, from the swallowing to the final waste discharge from the intestines (called the peristaltic process) Wholesale Brian Burns Jersey , along the tubing to massage the food. Since the fibers are relatively difficult to digest, the volume of the feces is increased.
Soluble fiber absorbs moisture like a sponge, which helps to swell the feces and make it easier to pass through the intestines. Its role is to slow down the rate of digestion. This slowing effect is usually covered by insoluble fibers that do not absorb moisture and accelerate the passage of food through the intestines.
Drink a lot of water
A high-fiber diet may not prevent or cure constipation unless you drink enough water every day. Some very high fiber breakfast cereals may contain about 10 grams of fiber per serving. If the cereal does not have enough liquid, it may cause abdominal discomfort or constipation.
Fiber and aging
Fiber is more important for the elderly. The digestive system slows down with age, so a high-fiber diet becomes more important.
Lower cholesterol in the blood
There is ample evidence that soluble fiber reduces cholesterol levels in the blood. When blood cholesterol levels are high Cheap Marquis Haynes Jersey , fat streaks and plaques are deposited along the arterial wall. This may make them dangerously narrow and lead to an increased risk of coronary heart disease. It is believed that soluble fiber lowers blood cholesterol by combining bile acids (made from cholesterol to digest dietary fat) and then excreting them.
Fiber and weight control
A high fiber diet prevents weight gain. High fiber foods tend to have lower energy densities, which means they provide less kilojoules per gram of food. Therefore, people with a high fiber diet can consume the same amount of food, but less kilojoules (calories).
Fibrous foods are usually bulky and therefore filled. Soluble fibers form a gel that slows the emptying of the stomach and the transit time of food through the digestive system. This extends the time a person is satisfied or "full". It also delays the absorption of sugar from the intestines. This helps maintain lower blood glucose levels and prevents rapid rises in blood insulin levels, which is associated with increased risk of obesity and diabetes.
Fiber and diabetes
For people with diabetes Cheap Rashaan Gaulden Jersey , eating a high-fiber diet can slow the absorption of glucose fr