Friday, October 4, 2013
health benefits of eating fiber
Health Benefits of Eating Fiber
health benefits of eating fiber, health benefits of soluble fiber, soluble fiber health benefits, health benefits of fiber in diet, forms of soluble fiber, health benefits of fiber in diet, health benefits of high fiber diet.
health benefits of eating fiber |
BENEFITS:
Helps Prevent Constipation.
Relieves the symptoms of diverticulitis and hemorrhoids.
May help reduce risk of colon cancer.
Plays a role in lowering elevated blood cholesterol levels.
Useful as a means of controlling weight.
DRAWBACKS:
Too much fiber can cause bloating and other digestive problems.
Some high fiber foods can cause gas.
Excessive fiber may lead to iron, zinc, and other mineral deficiencies.
health benefits of eating fiber |
Fiber is originating in plants; dietary fiberalso called roughage is indigestible. The effects of fiber appear to have been known since biblical times, but only in recent years have scientist begun to understand its importance in the daily diet as a means of preventing disease and maintaining health. Although fiver is not a magic bullet that can prevent or cure everything from cancer to indigestion, research does suggest that the typically low fiber diets consumed in Western industrialized countries may contribute to such widespread illnesses as coronary artery disease, diabetes, and disease of the large intestine, including cancer.
The typical American diet is estimated to provide about 12 g of fiber a day, however, nutritionists recommend a daily consumption of between 20 g and 35 g from a wide variety of high fiber foods, but they do not recommend taking a whopping does of bran or a fiber supplement once a day.
health benefits of eating fiber |
DIETARY SOURCES:
Most dietary fiber comes from fruits, vegetables, dried beans, peas and other legumes, cereals, grains, nuts and seeds. The outer layer of a grain, which contains the most fiber, is removed in the refining process. This explains why whole grain products, such as brown rice and whole wheat bread, are such good sources of fiber.
Fiber falls into two broad categories soluble and insoluble. The soluble fiber dissolves in water and become sticky. They include pectin, which is contained in fruits, nuts, legumes and some vegetables, guar, carrageen an, and other gums found in seaweed and algae, and mucilage, which are present in plant seeds and some plant secretions. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve, passing through the digestive tract chewed but otherwise largely unchanged. Insoluble fiber include cellulose, which is found in bran, whole grains and vegetables, hemicelluloses, contained in fruits, nuts, whole grains and vegetables and lignin, a woody substance that is also found in bran, nuts, whole grains and the skins of fruits.
health benefits of eating fiber |
ROLE IN THE GOOD HEALTH:
As it passes through the digestive tract, fiber acts as a sponge, absorbing many times its own weight in liquid. The result is that stools are soft and bulkier and can pass through the intestines more rapidly and be expelled more easily, thus decreasing the likelihood of constipation. This quick passage also helps prevent related bowel disorders, such as diverticulosis and hemorrhoids, which can occur from the increased pressure created by hard stools. It has also been theorized that fiber protects against cancer of the colon by causing stools to pass more quickly, thus reducing contact with cancer causing agents being carried in them. In addition, some researchers speculate that the increased water content of high fiber stools is also protective, because it dilutes these carcinogens. This theory remains unproven, however, and there may be other substances in high fiber foods that protect against cancer.
Some of the soluble fiber, pectin, oat bran, guar, and other can lower blood cholesterol levels in turn; this decreases the risk of coronary artery disease and heart attacks due to atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty plaque in arteries. Simply adding soluble fiber to the diet is not enough; however, fat consumption must also be reduced, although insoluble fiber has little or no effect, some soluble fiber also help to control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Increasing fiber will not cure diabetes, but a diet that is high in complex carbohydrates and fiber can allow some diabetics to lower their medication doses, because it is filling and low in calories, eating fiber is helpful when you are trying to lose or control you weight. It provides a welcome feeling of fullness, although this tends to wear off rather quickly as it passes through the digestive system. The best way to use fiber for weight loss is to consume a balanced diet that also includes modest amounts of protein and fat in each meal, because the body metabolizes these more slowly than fiber, you will not become hungry again as quickly.
health benefits of eating fiber |
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
Increasing the amount of fiber in the diet should be done gradually, and its intake should be spread throughout the day. Suddenly increasing fiber intake from 10g to 30g a day, for example, can provoke such unpleasant symptoms gas bloating and gassiness. Similarly, consuming a large amount of fiber at once can lead to abdominal cramps or even a bowel obstruction, particularly among older or sedentary persons who already have sluggish bowel function.
Fiber pills re not a good alternative to actually consuming fiber through your diet. Pills and other types of supplements lack the other nutrients and substances found in high fiber foods, and it is possible that these, too, are in strumental in disease prevention, not just the fiber itself. Too much bran and other insoluble fiber can prevent the digestive system from absorbing certain minerals properly, particularly calcium, iron and zinc. This is rarely a problem and is unlikely to occur unless more than 35g of fiber a day are consumed. Fiber may be directly anticarcinogenic. Wheat bran, for example, binds nitrite, making it unavailable to form cancer causing nitrosamines, and fiber like chlorophyll, may prevent carcinogens from entering cells.
health benefits of eating fiber |
FIBER IN DAILY DIET:
A well balanced diet will provide all the fiber you need, without supplying too much, while it has little or no nutritional value, fiber forms an essential link in the body’s digestive chain. Soluble and insoluble fiber is equally important. Some plant foods provide both types apple peel, for instance, has insoluble cellulose, while the flesh is an excellent source of the soluble fiber pectin. Wheat bran, whole grains, and dried fruits are particularly good source of both forms.
INCREASING FIBER INTAKE:
- Eat the skins of potatoes, apples and other fruits, and vegetables.
- Serve vegetables raw or steamed.
- Use whole grain cereals and breads and brown rice; avoid products made from white or highly processed flour.
- If you can’t tolerate a particular high fiber food, substitute something else, for example, replace beans with another vegetables.
health benefits of eating fiber |
health benefits of eating fiber |
health benefits of eating fiber |
health benefits of eating fiber |
health benefits of eating fiber |
health benefits of eating fiber |
health benefits of eating fiber |
health benefits of eating fiber |
health benefits of eating fiber |
health benefits of eating fiber |
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