Fiber is must in our daily Diet - You have probably heard this name before, but most of us do not know what is fiber.Dietary fiber is defined as that portion of food derived from plant cells, resistant to hydrolysis/ digestion by the enzyme system in human being. Fiber is commonly classified as soluble fiber, which dissolves in water and forms a gel like material, and insoluble fiber which does not dissolve in water.
What is Soluble fiber - especially help in lowering blood cholesterol and glucose level. These are found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barely and
What is Insoluble fiber- helps to prevent constipation by increasing the bulk of the stool.These are mostly found in the whole grains, wheat cereals and vegetables such as carrots, and tomatoes. Most plant based foods, such as oatmeal and beans contains both soluble and insoluble fibre. However, the amount of each type varies in different plant foods. It is recommended that adult should consume 30 gm fibre in his daily balanced diet. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t nearly eating this enough in our diet.
Fiber's role in our body! There are a lot of wonderful roles & activities by fibers Adequate amounts of dietary fiber intake can promote health in many aspects. They increase the bulk of stools and softens it and so the stool passes through the intestinal tract easily, thus avoid constipation. And thus a high fiber diet lower the risk of developing hemorrhoids, provide relief for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Some studies have also indicate that a high fiber diet may help to lower gastric acid and reduce the risk of gastro esophageal reflux disorder (GERD) and ulcers. Soluble fibre found in beans, oats and oat brans improve cholesterol levels by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol prevent the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and improve the level of HDL (good) cholesterol. In people with diabetes, particularly soluble fibre can slow the absoRption of sugar and help to improve blood sugar levels and decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Fibre has very high satiety value, It means, it increases the feeling of fullness and it takes more time to chew thus delayed the intake of foods and cuts down the amount of calorie and helps to control body weight. There is some research that suggests eating a high fibre diet can help to prevent colorectal cancer other common digestive system cancers including stomach, mouth and pharynx.
Fibers & Foods - Fiber is most important as a feed of the ‘good’ bacteria in the intestine, functioning as probiotics. By increasing the amount of dietary fibre especially psyllium husk (a type of plant seeds) can flush toxins out of the body and improving the health and appearance of the skin. So keeping these points in our mind we should consume adequate amount of fibres in our daily balanced diet by taking some simple steps like eating non refined wheat and grains, whole fruits instead of fruit juices, brown bread instead of white bread, add barely, beans and lentils to soups and salads, have fruits with its skins, incorporate vegetables in cooking and taking a fruit after meal or have it as a snack. So, selecting tasty foods that provide fiber is not a difficult task.
Remember Always - Taking plenty amounts of fiber wisely through your daily diet can help to prevent many serious diseases and look and feel your best. finally I must say never forget to include fiber rich foods in your daily meals or diet.This has uncountable contributions in our all body & those specially who are diabetic, constipation, skin disorders. So do not ignore fiber.