Soluble and insoluble fibers
Dietary fiber consists of carbohydrates in edible vegetable cell leftovers, polysaccharides, lignin and associated substances that are resistant to digestion by food enzymes.
Some examples are cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, lignin, gums, ß-glucans, the resistant starch found naturally in plants or produced during the conventional processing of cereals, oligosaccharides found in legumes such as raffinose and stachyose, fructooligosaccharides, fructose and inulin.
Fibers are classified in:
- Functional — nondigestible carbohydrates, isolated, that exert beneficial effects to the individual.
- Soluble — soluble in water: they form gels with water, increasing the viscosity of the food and delaying gastric emptying.
- Insoluble — insoluble in water, not fermentable by intestinal bacteria, increase stool volume, acting as laxative agent.
The benefits of dietary fiber are the fermentation of its components that occurs in the large intestine, changing the speed of intestinal transit, the pH of the colon and the production of byproducts with important physiological function.
Benefits of soluble fibers:
- Satiety
- Appetite control
- Aid in the formation of intestinal bacterial flora
- They slow the absorption of carbohydrates
- Decreased serum LDL cholesterol
- Reduced serum glucose
- Prevention of cardiopathies
- Decreases serum levels of ultra-sensitive C-reactive protein
- Protection against colon cancer
Benefits of Insoluble Fibers:
- Delay gastric emptying
- Absorb water by mixing with food in the large intestine
- Increased stool
- act as a natural laxative
- Prevent diseases like hemorrhoids, constipation, diverticulitis and colon cancer.
KNOW MORE:
- Consuming more than 35 grams of fiber per day can cause problems.
- Too much fiber causes food to remain in the intestine for a very short time and making it difficult to take advantage of nutrients.
- May impair the absorption or accelerate the excretion of certain minerals, such as zinc, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron.
- Causes local irritation and intestinal intolerance, leading to gas formation, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
- The symptoms of fiber deficiency are the formation of gas, bloating, abdominal pains, headache, malaise and mood swings.
- Food debris stopped and in contact with the wall of the intestine can lead to inflammation, decreased immunity, infections and even cancer.
- The daily amount of fiber recommended by health agencies ranges from 20 to 30 grams,
- For children between 5 and 10 years the recommendation varies from 5 to 10 grams daily of dietary fiber.
Foods high in fiber:
- Wheat bran
Oats
- Brown rice
- Bean
- Chickpea
- Peas
- Peanut
- Linseed
- Chia,
- Chestnuts
- Almond
- Pepper
- Broccoli,
- Cauliflower
Palm heart
- Carrot
- Beet
- Corn
- Green leaves
- Dry fruits
- Guava
- Plum
- Apple
Orange
