What is fiber?
Dietary fiber is a food component of plant origin that our
body cannot use and excretes again. Nevertheless, these plant substances are
very important to us. They support our digestion and help prevent type 2
diabetes, among other things.
A distinction is made between soluble and insoluble fiber,
both together are called total fiber. These are the differences:
Soluble fiber
Soluble fiber is mainly found in fruits and vegetables.
Pectins, inulin, oligofructose and soluble hemicelluloses belong to this group.
This fiber acts as a bulking agent by binding large amount
of water . In the large intestine, soluble fibers is broken down by bacteria
living there into short-chain fatty acid and gases - both of which make the
stool softer and the stool volume increases.
This enables rapid, regular emptying of the bowel without
pressing. At the same time, the fiber serves as food for the intestinal
bacteria, which means that they multiply. This also increase the stool volume,
because an estimat 60 percent of it is made up of bacterial cells.
Insoluble fiber
Insoluble fiber is mainly found in cereals and legumes. They
include cellulose, insoluble hemicellulose, and lignin.
They bind much less water than soluble fibers, but are
hardly broken down by the bacteria, which increases the volume of stool. A
bulky stools stimulates the movements of the intestine, which in turn
accelerates the transport of food residues and their elimination.
This is why fiber is so important!
Dietary fiber is absolutely necessary for the human body.
They have a major impact on digestion in particular. If you eat too few
high-fiber foods, this often leads to constipation (constipation). Above all,
the insoluble fiber stimulates the bowel movement.
Foods with a lot of fiber fill you up well because the pulp
stays in the stomach for a long time. They also, in most cases, require
thorough chewing and are slow to raise blood sugar. These are all good
prerequisites for becoming or staying slim.
The soluble fiber plays an important role for the metabolism
in particular. For example, they lower blood lipid levels and help the body
eliminate cholesterol . The background: dietary fibers bind bile acids, so that
these are excreted more, which in turn stimulates the production of new bile
acids in the blood. This is exactly where cholesterol is used up.
In addition, fiber helps prevent the following diseases:
• Typ-2-Diabetes
• Colon and
prostate cancer
• constipation
• Divertikulose
• Colon
cancer
• hemorrhoids
• Obesity
• Hardening
of the arteries
• Heart
attack
• high
blood pressure
Dietary fiber: daily requirement
A minimum of 30 gram of fiber per day is recommended for
adults. This corresponds, for example, to around 200 grams of cabbage, 200
grams of carrots, 100 grams of beetroot, 100 grams of legumes or three slices
of whole grain bread. That's quite a lot.
Accordingly, 75 percent of women (on average 25 grams of
fiber per day) and 68 percent of men (on average 23 grams of fiber per day) in
this country are below the recommended daily intake.
The easiest way to meet the need for fiber is to consume
plenty of fruit and vegetables as well as whole grain varieties of popular
products such as pasta, bread and rice - at least that is the advice of the
German Nutrition Society.
However, increase the amount cautiously: Those who eat too much
fiber and are not used to it often suffer from gas or bloating. At the same
times, it is important to drink enough so that the fiber can swell.
These are high fiber foods!
A food is considered high in fiber if it has at least five
grams of fiber per 100 grams.
In addition to grain products, fruits and vegetables are
good sources of fiber. A perfect start to the day, for example, is a muesli
with oat flakes, fruits and nuts. Dried apricots, plums and chia seeds are rich
in fiber.
When it comes to bread, pasta and rice, always choose the
whole grain variety if possible. When you buy packaged food in the supermarket,
it usually has the fiber content on it.
You can find out which other food you can use to increase
your fiber intake in the article High- fiber foods .
Low fiber foods
However, a high-fiber diet is not always beneficial. Dietary
fiber has an unfavorable effect on intestinal problems such as diarrhea or
inflammatory bowel diseases.
You can read in the article Low-fiber foods which foods and
products contain hardly any fiber .
What is the effect of inulin?
The two soluble fibers inulin and olgliofructose are among
the so-called prebiotics . They promote the growth of beneficial germs in the
intestine, the probiotic bacteria. They also have a positive effect on
digestion. Inulin is found in Jerusalem artichokes, legumes and artichokes ,
for example .
Inulin and olgliofructose are often found in fruit juices,
baked goods or muesli bars. Since inulin binds water, manufacturers like to use
it as a thickener. Due to its slightly sweet taste, it also replaces other
sweeteners. Fiber is particularly common in low-fat dairy products.
As an isolated fiber, inulin is also available as a powder
or as drinks in stores. It often helps with constipation in the short term. For
a balanced diet with fiber, however, it makes more sense to use fresh fruit,
vegetables and whole grain products.