Hello everyone, welcome to Adoración Linares' nutrition blog. Today we're going to talk about dietary fiber: what it is, its health benefits, and the best foods to eat to get the daily fiber your body needs.
What is fiber?
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body cannot digest. While most carbohydrates break down into sugar molecules, fiber cannot be broken down into these molecules and passes through the body undigested.
Fiber helps regulate the body's use of sugars, helping to keep hunger and blood sugar under control.
What is the recommended amount of fiber?
Children and adults need at least 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day for good health, but most people in developed countries only consume about 15 grams a day.
The best sources are whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
Dietary fiber comes in two varieties, both beneficial to health:
Soluble fiber
Soluble fiber is the type of fiber that dissolves in water. It can help lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels. Foods high in soluble fiber include oats, nuts, beans, lentils, apples, and blueberries.
Insoluble fiber
On the other hand, we find insoluble fiber, which does not dissolve in water. It can help food move through the digestive system, promoting regularity and helping to prevent constipation.
Foods with insoluble fiber include wheat, wholemeal bread, wholemeal couscous, brown rice, legumes, carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
The best sources of fiber are whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and nuts.
Some tips to increase your dietary fiber intake:
- Eat whole fruits instead of drinking fruit juices.
- Replace white rice, bread, and pasta with brown rice and whole grain or whole grain products.
- For breakfast, choose whole grain cereals as the main ingredient.
- For snack time, include raw fruits and vegetables instead of chips, cookies, or chocolate bars.
- Replace meat with beans or legumes two or three times a week. For example, you can have a chickpea salad, which is delicious.
Fiber and diseases
Fiber appears to reduce the risk of developing various diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and diverticular disease and constipation. Despite these benefits, fiber probably has little or no effect on the risk of colon cancer.
Heart disease
High dietary fiber intake has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease in several large-scale studies that followed people for many years. In a Harvard study of more than 40,000 male healthcare professionals, researchers found that a high intake of total dietary fiber was linked to a 40 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease. Another Harvard study involving nurses produced quite similar results.
A higher fiber intake has also been linked to a lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome, A combination of factors increases the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. These factors include high blood pressure, high insulin levels, excess weight (especially around the abdomen), high triglyceride levels, and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.
Several studies suggest that a higher fiber intake may offer protective benefits against this syndrome.
Type 2 diabetes
Diets low in fiber and high in foods that cause sudden spikes in blood sugar may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Two Harvard studies—one of female nurses and one of male health professionals—found that this type of diet more than doubled the risk of type 2 diabetes compared to a diet high in whole grain fiber and low in high-glycemic foods.
A diet rich in cereal fiber was linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
Other studies, such as the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition-Potsdam, have shown similar results.
Read what you can do to help prevent type 2 diabetes.
Diverticular disease
Diverticulitis, an inflammation of the bowel, is one of the most common age-related colon disorders in Western society. In a long-term follow-up study, dietary fiber intake, particularly insoluble fiber, was associated with a 401% lower risk of developing diverticular disease.
Fiber and constipation
Constipation is the most common gastrointestinal ailment in the United States, and fiber intake appears to relieve and prevent constipation.
The fiber in wheat bran and oat bran is considered more effective than the fiber in fruits and vegetables. Experts recommend increasing fiber intake gradually rather than suddenly, and since fiber absorbs water, fluid intake should be increased as fiber consumption increases.
Colon cancer
Studies have not strongly demonstrated a link between fiber and colon cancer. One study found that dietary fiber was not strongly associated with a lower risk of colon cancer or polyps (a precursor to colon cancer).
Breast cancer
A large-scale 2016 study led by researchers at Harvard's TH Chan School of Public Health showed findings that higher fiber intake reduces the risk of breast cancer, suggesting that fiber intake during adolescence and early adulthood may be particularly important.
Women who consume more foods rich in dietary fiber during adolescence and early adulthood, including vegetables and fruits, may have a significantly lower risk of breast cancer than those who consume less dietary fiber when they are young.
I hope you found the article on dietary fiber helpful. For more information, please feel free to contact me. Best regards, and see you soon on the blog.
