Add more fiber to your diet; you have probably heard this before from your healthcare provider, but do you know why it is important to add fiber to your diet and its health benefits? Dietary fiber is said to be the best in reducing constipation and may be found in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. But eating a diet high in fiber can also help you keep a healthy weight and lower your chances of diabetes, heart disease, and several cancers.
It’s simple to choose foods that are high in fiber. Let’s see what are the types of dietary fiber and benefits of high fiber-diet:
What is dietary fiber?
Roughage or bulk, another name for dietary fiber, refers to the components of plant foods that your body cannot digest or absorb. Unlike other meal constituents like lipids, proteins, or carbs, which your body breaks down and absorbs, fiber is not digested by your body. Rather, it travels through your colon, small intestine, and stomach largely undamaged.
Types of fiber
There are two types of fiber that are commonly found:
Soluble fiber: This type of fiber simply gets into a gel-like form when it comes in contact with water. It dissolves in water and helps in maintaining cholesterol and glucose levels. It can be found in oats, beans, apples, carrots, and peas.
Insoluble fiber: Those who experience constipation or irregular stools may find this sort of fiber helpful since it helps the passage of material through your digestive tract and increases stool mass. Insoluble fiber can be found in abundance in whole-wheat products including flour, wheat bran, nuts, beans, and vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower, and green beans
Benefits of high fiber-diet
Lower cholesterol levels: Beans, oats, flaxseed, and oat bran are legumes that contain soluble fiber, which may reduce levels of low-density lipoprotein, or “bad,” cholesterol in the blood. Inflammation and blood pressure can both be helped by eating foods that are high in fiber.
Stabilize bowel movements: Dietary fiber softens and increases the weight and volume of your feces. Fiber may assist to settle loose, watery stools because it absorbs water and provides them bulk.
Helps in maintaining bowel movement: A high-fiber diet can reduce the risk of developing tiny pouches in the colon and hemorrhoids. It is observed that a high-fiber diet is likely to reduce the occurrence of colorectal cancer. In the colon, some fiber is fermented.
Help control blood sugar levels: Fiber, especially soluble fiber, can help control blood sugar levels in diabetics by slowing the absorption of sugar. A nutritious diet including insoluble fiber may help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Helps in achieving a healthy weight: You will probably eat less and feel fuller longer if you consume high-fiber foods instead of low-fiber ones because they are usually more satisfying. Additionally, high-fiber foods take longer to consume and are less “energy dense,” which means they contain fewer calories per unit of food.
A high-fiber diet is good for health, but it only works best when you start drinking plenty of water so that it can make your stool soft and bulky. You should consult your healthcare provider before adding any supplement to your diet.
