MUCH ADO ABOUT FIBER!

Dietary Fiber has been in the spot light a great deal lately, and I must say for a good cause. This blog post could have been titled the Weight loss benefits of Dietary Fiber, but that will not have done justice to dietary fiber considering all its other health benefits.

What is Dietary Fiber?

Keeping it simple(without boring you with the biochemical definition and modus operandi), Dietary fibers are non digestible materials primarily from plant fiber, formerly referred to as roughages.

There are 2 types of Dietary Fibers viz: Soluble and Insoluble Fibers.

Soluble Fibers are fibers that either dissolve or swell in water and are also fermented by bacteria in the Large intestine.  Food sources of these are Apples, Oranges, Bananas, Carrots, Barley, Oats and Kidney beans.

Insoluble Fibers are fibers that do not dissolve in water nor fermented in the Large intestine by bacteria. Food sources are Vegetables, Whole wheat, Brown rice, and Rye.

Health Benefits of Dietary Fibers!

These include Weight Loss/weight control, Reduction in the risk of Obesity development and its management, Prevention and treatment of constipation, Lowering Blood cholesterol, Managing Diabetes Mellitus and Preventing Colon and Rectal Cancer. 

·         Weight control:- A diet rich in Fiber aids weight loss, weight control and reduces the risk of developing Obesity as it provides bulk and leaves room for only a small amount of energy/fat dense food due to its filling properties. E.g. A plate of food serving made up of ¾ vegetable salads will only leave room for small quantity of Rice while it still fills up the tummy.

·         Constipation:- Dietary fiber helps in the stimulation of the peristalsis by drawing water into the Large intestine and helps to form a bulky, soft faeces( Simply aiding Bowel movement). It has been documented that eating plenty of dietary fiber is the best alternative for treating “typical” cases of constipation.

·         Diabetes Mellitus:-When Soluble dietary fiber is consumed in large quantities, it somewhat slows glucose absorption from the small intestine, which is very helpful in the treatment of Diabetes. Also, its filling properties also curbs the over consumption of simple sugars which is the bane of DM.

·         Cholesterol:- A high intake of soluble dietary fiber also inhibits the absorption of cholesterol and reduces cholesterol synthesis in different ways. It has also been reported that consumption of insoluble fiber aids in trapping “bad” cholesterol and eliminating them with the faeces.

·         Cancer:-Dietary fiber from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans may bind carcinogens in the faeces and decrease stool transit time which lowers the risk of colon and rectal cancer.

Increasing our intake of fruits and Vegetables  will  provide us with all the benefits of dietary fiber amongst its other benefits.

So, stock up on fruits and also eat more of their not so interesting cousins……Veggies