What are the effects of dietary fiber on the human body

Dietary fiber is a common and hot term in the modern health craze, and many products claim to be rich in dietary fiber. But what exactly is dietary fiber? I believe many people are not clear and do not understand. So what are the effects of dietary fiber on the human body? For the sake of everyone’s health today, let’s take a look together!

Dietary fiber is a food nutrient that is generally difficult to digest. It mainly comes from the cell walls of plants and includes cellulose, hemicellulose, resin, pectin and lignin. Dietary fiber is essential for a healthy diet. Fiber plays an essential role in maintaining a healthy digestive system. At the same time, adequate fiber intake can also prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and other diseases. Fiber can clean the digestive wall and enhance digestive function. Fiber can also dilute and accelerate the removal of carcinogens and toxic substances in food, protect the fragile digestive tract and prevent colon cancer. Fiber can slow down digestion and excrete cholesterol most quickly, thus keeping blood sugar and cholesterol at optimal levels.

Classification

Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate that cannot be digested by the human body. It can be divided into two basic types based on its dissolution in water: water-soluble fiber and water-insoluble fiber. Cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin are three common water-insoluble fibers that exist in plant cell walls; while pectin and gum are water-soluble fibers that exist in non-fibrous substances in nature. Common foods such as barley, beans, carrots, citrus, flax, oats and oat bran are rich in water-soluble fiber. Water-soluble fiber can slow down digestion and excrete cholesterol as quickly as possible, so it can control blood sugar and cholesterol at the most ideal level and help diabetic patients lower insulin and triglycerides.

Insoluble fibers include cellulose, lignin, and some hemicelluloses and come from foods such as wheat bran, corn bran, celery, fruit peels, and root vegetables. Insoluble fiber can reduce the risk of colon cancer. It can also prevent constipation and diverticulitis by absorbing toxic substances in food and reducing toxins excreted by bacteria in the digestive tract. Most plants contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, so a balanced diet of soluble and insoluble fiber is necessary to reap the different benefits.

Daily intake standard

The daily intake of dietary fiber recommended by relevant international organizations is: the American Cancer Society recommends 30 to 40 grams per person per day, and the European Community Food Scientific Committee recommends 30 grams per person per day.

Which food contains the most dietary fiber?

Brown rice and germinated polished rice, as well as whole grains such as corn, millet, barley, wheat bran (rice bran) and wheat flour (ingredients for black bread); in addition, root vegetables and seaweed are rich in dietary fiber, such as burdock, carrots, green beans, red beans, peas, potatoes and kelp.

All the above content is what we introduced to you today about the effects of dietary fiber on the human body. I believe that after reading it carefully, you will have a deeper understanding of dietary fiber. At the same time, I also hope that you will not be confused by the seemingly high-sounding term dietary fiber, because it is not the entire symbol of health, and you still need to keep your eyes open.