Dietary fiber- Why is it important for our health, what are the different fiber types, and what should we eat daily to get all the dietary fiber we need?
Dietary fiber offers numerous health advantages. It aids in weight management, regulates blood sugar levels, and crucially, supports a healthy gut microbiome by promoting beneficial bacteria. How much dietary fiber should you consume per day? Why do you need dietary fiber in your diet? Let's break it down,
What is Dietary Fiber?
Dietary fiber is an integral part of a proper diet. To answer the question of what dietary fiber is, a brief introduction to what carbohydrates are is needed. We all know the food group called carbohydrates, but what not all of us know is which foods fall into the carbohydrate category. The carbohydrate family includes 5 subgroups:
Grains like bread, brown rice, quinoa, spelt, and pasta.
Starches like sweet potato, white rice and potatoes.
Legumes like lentils and green peas.
Fruits.
Vegetables
During digestion, carbohydrate-rich foods are broken down into glucose, which is then stored in the body as glycogen. When energy is required, such as during physical activity, the body converts this stored glycogen back into glucose for fuel.
Dietary fiber is actually carbohydrates that our body cannot digest and break down into energy. Unlike other carbohydrates, they do not break down into glucose or enter the body's energy reserves. Instead, they pass through the digestive system largely intact, providing various health benefits along the way.
There are quite a few types of dietary fiber, which can be roughly divided into two types: soluble and insoluble dietary fibers.
Different Types of Fiber
Let's discuss soluble fiber vs Insoluble fiber. What is the difference between these two types of fiber?
Soluble dietary fiber: this type of fiber refers to fiber that is soluble in water. Soluble fiber absorbs water in the intestines, forming a gel-like substance which softens the stool, making it easier to pass. It also Increases the time food spends in the digestive tract and contributes to a feeling of fullness, aiding in weight management. Soluble fiber can help balance blood sugar levels and maintain normal blood cholesterol levels. It can be found in oats, lentils, berries or apples, broccoli, turnips, avocado, psyllium husk and also in various types of nuts.
Insoluble dietary fiber: this type of fiber is not soluble in water and have the ability to help our digestive system and our bowel movements function better. It adds bulk to stool, making it easier to pass and helps move waste through the intestines more quickly, which means it basically reduces the time potentially harmful substances spend in contact with the colon. It may also help reduce the risk of hemorrhoids and diverticulosis disease.
Insoluble fiber can be found in whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, most of the vegetables and fruit.
Why Do We Need Dietary Fiber in Our Diet?
Dietary fiber has a massive affect on our overall health and well-being.
Fiber helps for maintainance of a strong digestive system, and prevention of constipation and diarrhea.
While discussing bowel movements may be uncomfortable, constipation and diarrhea are common digestive issues that warrant attention due to their prevalence and impact on health. Dietary fiber help with the normal functioning of the digestive system and may also help prevent constipation and diarrhea, assuming there's no medical condition causing it. The types of fiber which are very effective in preventing constipation are found in rye, bran, flax seeds and oat bran – insoluble dietary fibers. When increasing fiber intake, it's essential to consume adequate water, as fiber absorbs moisture from the digestive tract. When insoluble fiber reaches the large intestine, it absorbs water, softening the stool and facilitating its passage through the bowel.
Soluble dietary fiber can help us against mild to moderate diarrhea. This fiber absorbs fluids in the small intestine and thus actually encourage the solidification of stool.
Dietary Fiber is super important for Maintaining Good Gut Bacteria
Dietary fiber is essential for a healthy gut microbiome. Recent research has increasingly emphasized the crucial role of gut microbiota in overall health. Not only do various types of these gut bacteria help us maintain a healthy body weight, they also help us prevent pathogenic bacteria in the body from erupting. It is not enough to just introduce good gut bacteria into our bodies (with various foods like yogurts, fermented foods and probiotic supplements) it is even more important to maintain them after we've introduced them. The dietary fiber that these probiotic bacteria feed on are called prebiotic fiber.
Dietary Fiber is a Key to Satiety and Weight Management
Dietary fiber helps maintain a healthy weight by promoting a feeling of fullness and prolonged satiety, which helps control portion sizes and prevents overeating. For example, if we compare eating white bread to whole grain bread, we often find that we need to eat more white bread to feel the same fullness we get from a smaller portion of whole grain bread. Additionally, foods rich in dietary fiber typically require more chewing time, and the act of chewing itself helps us reach a feeling of fullness sooner.
Dietary Fiber and Maintaining Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
Dietary fiber slows down the absorption of sugar from food into the bloodstream, resulting in a more gradual increase in blood sugar levels. This effect has been found in studies to be effective in preventing diabetes. Furthermore, dietary interventions for early-stage diabetes typically include increasing fiber intake when current consumption is inadequate.
The Role of Dietary Fiber in Nutrition
Although the supplement market is rich in fiber supplements, obtaining dietary fiber from whole foods should be the first line of action. There may be various reasons why one cannot get enough fiber from food, and in such cases, a supplement can be considered. However, this decision should be made in consultation with a professional to avoid causing harm.
How Much Fiber Should We Consume Daily?
In contrast to the complex calculation of individual caloric needs, the recommended daily fiber intake is straightforward: 20 to 30 grams for most adults. Here's an example of what you would need to eat to achieve that:
Whole grains:
1 cup of cooked oatmeal (4g)
2 slices of whole wheat bread (2-3g)
1/2 cup of brown rice or quinoa (7 tablespoons of cooked rice/quinoa- 2g)
Legumes:
1/2 cup of cooked lentils (8g)
1/2 cup of cooked black beans (7.5g)
1/2 cup of chickpeas (6g)
Vegetables:
1 medium artichoke (10g)
1 cup of cooked broccoli (5g)
1 medium sweet potato with skin (4g)
1 cup of raw carrots (3.5g)
a medium size salad (4-5 g)
Fruits:
1 medium pear with skin (5.5g)
1 cup of raspberries (8g)
1 medium apple with skin (4.5g)
1 banana
Nuts and seeds:
30 gr of almonds (3.5g)
30 gr of chia seeds (10g)
2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed (4g)
Other:
1/2 cup of cooked split peas (8g)
3 cups of air-popped popcorn (3.5g)
By combining several of these foods throughout the day, you can easily reach the recommended 20-30 grams of fiber. Remember to increase fiber intake gradually and drink plenty of water to avoid digestive discomfort.
Achieving your daily fiber intake is surprisingly simple!
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