Dietary Fiber - Essential to Good Health
Plant Based Diet with Roughage Has Many Health Benefits
May 19, 2009
Fiber or roughage is the indigestible substance present in plant based food. It passes through the digestive system virtually unchanged. A diet that includes fiber has more bulk in it and makes one feel full. Fiber can be consumed only from a plant based diet. There is no fiber in meat or its derived foods.
How Much Fiber Daily?
According to "The National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine", adult men 50 and below should consume 38 grams of fiber, 51 and older should consume 30 grams daily. Adult women 50 and below should consume 25 grams of fiber a day and ages 51 and older, 20 grams of fiber a day.
Soluble Fiber and Insoluble Fiber - What Do They Really Mean?
Soluble fiber reduces the risk of heart disease and manage the blood sugar levels better in the blood, as it absorbs the carbohydrates from the consumed food. Fiber present in the pulp of fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes are soluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is found on the exterior of foods like brown rice, skin of fruits like apples, mangoes etc. Insoluble fibers, add bulk to the food, are not absorbed by the body and are eliminated. Both these types of fiber are essential to good health. Soluble fibers dissolve in water and are used by the body to regulate blood sugar and cholesterol.
Some Benefits of Eating Foods That Have Fiber
- Food with adequate fiber content constitute a heart healthy diet.
- Fiber helps one be, "regular." Along with water it prevents constipation.
- Its a requirement of any weight loss plan
- Soluble Fiber can help regulate blood sugar and regulate cholesterol.
Shopping Pointers for the High Fiber Diet
- Look for the whole grain as the first ingredient in bread or pasta.
- Wheat bread may not necessarily mean bread made with whole wheat.
- Brown rice has the insoluble fiber that white rice lacks.
- If there is a choice, choose to buy the whole fruit/vegetable instead of chopped and peeled vegetables and fruits, as their skin contains insoluble fiber.
Our world, today, is ruled by the dictates of the taste bud - food is fast, swallowed more, chewed less. People are fast becoming overfed but undernourished. Fiber has become something that has to be consumed in the form of a pill. But it need not be so. Eating a balanced diet with adequate fiber does not have to be as hard or tasteless as it sounds. There are several healthy choices available to the health savvy shopper.
To learn more about breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack choices and to learn the fiber content of our most common foods, and the dangers of eating too much fiber read, How to Choose Smart Foods with Adequate Fiber?
 |
 |
 |
