Understanding Dietary Fiber: Types, Benefits, and Importance for Health
Fiber FAQ
What foods are high in fiber?
Getting plenty of it in natural foods helps us avoid blood sugar spikes, and cuts down the amount of free-flowing sugar that leads to insulin resistance. Foods high in fiber include dark leafy greens, lentils, beans, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Keep in mind when choosing fruits to go for low-sugar varieties, like berries and apples.
What are the benefits of fiber?
A) Fiber may help to reduce hormones in the body. B) Fiber may bring more benefits to women than men. C) Fiber may improve the function of heart muscles. D) Fiber may make blood circulation more smooth. Directions: In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions.
How much fiber should you eat per day?
"All of your meals should include at least eight grams of fiber," she says. To hit the 30 grams per day goal, snack on a medium pear or a half an avocado, which have about six grams of fiber each, says Gans.
What is dietary fibre?
Dietary fibre refers to a complex group of substances in plant foods which cannot be completely broken down by human digestive enzymes. This includes waxes, lignin, beta-glucans and polysaccharides such as cellulose and pectin. Originally, it was thought that dietary fibre was completely indigestible and did not provide any energy.
What are the physical characteristics of fibre?
Fibre includes carbohydrates called polysaccharides and resistant oligosaccharides (ROS). Recent research suggests that fibre should be categorised by its physical characteristics; how well it dissolves (solubility), how thick it is (viscosity) and how well it breaks down (fermentability). Some commonly known terms are described below:
What is a'source of fibre' & 'high in fibre'?
A food is a ‘source of’ fibre if it has at least 3g fibre per 100g, and ‘high in’ fibre if it has more than 6g per 100g. We should all aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
What is a good source of fibre for a healthy diet?
It's important to get fibre from a variety of sources, as eating too much of one type of food may not provide you with a healthy balanced diet. Choose a higher-fibre breakfast cereal such as plain wholewheat biscuits (like Weetabix) or plain shredded whole grain (like Shredded wheat), or porridge as oats are also a good source of fibre.
Fiber References
If you want to know more about Fiber, consider exploring links below:
What Is Fiber
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/fiber/
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983
- https://www.livescience.com/51998-dietary-fiber.html
- https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/digestive-health/how-to-get-more-fibre-into-your-diet/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/why-is-fiber-good-for-you
- https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/diet/fiber-benefits-food-sources-supplements-side-effects/
- https://www.verywellfit.com/all-about-fiber-2242215
- https://www.verywellhealth.com/dietary-fiber-7496057
Fiber Information
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