You have probably heard that you should consume more fiber through your diet, but do you know what it is and why it is good for your health? Dietary fiber is one of the most healthy nutrients found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Eating more fiber has numerous health benefits that you might don’t know. If you are interested to learn about this nutrient and its potential health benefits, read out this article.
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What is Fiber?
Dietary fiber, also known as roughage or bulk, is the nutrient found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. It is a non-digestible, zero-calorie part of plant foods that adds bulk to your diet. Your body cannot break down and absorb it like digestible fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Your body can’t digest it but passes it through your digestive system out of your body. According to health experts, the suitable amount of fiber to consume daily is 11 grams a day. A variety of foods contain a healthy amount of fiber. However, besides diet, fiber can get consumed via the best fiber gummies available on the market. fiber is further categorised into two categories based on its solubility: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. The amount of both varies in different foods. However, one should eat plenty of high fiber foods to receive complete health benefits.
Soluble fiber: This type of fiber can get dissolved in water and body fluids while producing a gel-like material. When the soluble fiber reaches your colon, it feeds good bacteria. Healthy gut bacteria is linked to several health benefits, including protection against diabetes and obesity. Soluble fiber is present in peas, beans, apple, carrots, oats, barley and citrus fruits.
Insoluble fiber: This type of fiber cannot dissolve in the body fluids and instead absorbs them and form a softer, bulkier and regular stool. It promotes movement through your digestive system and benefits those struggling with constipation. Some foods with a high rate of insoluble fiber are wheat, nuts, beans, whole wheat flour, potatoes and green vegetables.
Benefits of eating fiber
Fiber is one of the nutrients with the highest number of benefits. The recommended amount to reap all these benefits for women is 35 grams and 38 grams for men. Let’s look at some of the most popular benefits you can get by adding fiber rich foods to your diet.
Lose weight
Fiber does not break down or get absorbed by the body, but dietary fiber has the property of swelling like a sponge in your stomach. It increases the feeling of fullness and helps in quick weight loss. By consuming fiber rich diet, you eat less and stay full for a longer time. High fiber foods have fewer calories, and they also prevent the body from absorbing calories from other foods, which means you cannot weight gain by consuming more fiber. Even if including a high fiber diet is the only change you make in your lifestyle, you will lose pounds. There are several types of research where dieters lost a significant amount of weight when they were told to get at least 30 grams of fiber a day. Following this diet is better than following a complex diet that requires limiting fats, sugar, salt, and even fruits.
Build strong bones
Some types of water-soluble fiber have increased the bioavailability of various other nutrients like calcium in the food. Calcium is the most important mineral for promoting healthy bones. So, eating lots of fiber-rich foods, such as soybeans, wheat, leeks, asparagus, and oats, may help maintain your bone density along with keeping your healthy weight maintained. Don’t forget to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle for better health results.
Reduces cancer risk
Cancers like breast cancer and colorectal cancer are the leading cause of death. According to studies, fiber rich fruits and vegetables have healthy nutrients and antioxidants that may reduce cancer risk in the body. fiber promotes healthy digestion, which improves colon health and prevents the growth of the tumour. The reduced levels of circulating estrogen due to fiber rich foods reduce the risk of breast cancer. So, your body parts will stay disease-free for longer when you consume more fiber through diet.
Lowers cholesterol
Increasing chyme viscosity by consuming soluble fiber can eliminate bile and lower cholesterol levels. Bile is produced in response to food and is recycled several times. The gel-forming fiber significantly decreases the efficiency of bile, while making it dissolve in the stool. It clears the LDL (bad cholesterol) from the blood without affecting HDL (good cholesterol). However, the viscosity alone, without gel-forming fiber does not provide cholesterol-lowering benefits. You can consume soluble fiber through apples, strawberries, oats and barley.
Improves blood sugar levels
When you consume carb-containing meals, it may cause a rise in your blood sugar level. Neglecting it can raise your blood sugar to harmful levels, which can further cause the risk of serious diseases. Including a viscous, soluble fire rich diet in your routine can reduce the likelihood of carbs from other foods raising your blood sugar level. Added sugar and white flour are high in carbs, and if you consume them daily, you should consider reducing their intake while adding high fiber food to your diet. Legumes, bran and psyllium contain the soluble fire and slow the absorption of sugar. It keeps the insulin levels stable and helps the body store fewer fats.
It helps you live longer
A fiber-rich diet does wonder for your body. It doesn’t only help you maintain your weight and look good; it also provides you with an internal detox. The benefits like better heart health, better mental health, improved sugar levels, glowing skin, better gut health and many others contribute to providing happy and healthy life. According to one study, people who ate fiber rich foods in their life has a 19 per cent reduced risk of death from disease. fiber has the properties of reducing the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and cancer. so, include a high fiber diet in your routine and stay healthy throughout your life.
Metabolic health
fiber does not treat any disease by getting absorbed by the blood or digested by the body. The human body cannot digest fiber, but it attempts to do it. It, in turn, burns a lot of calories during the process. Therefore, adding fiber rich food to your diet can boost metabolism and keeps you healthy and active. fiber-rich food eliminates the toxins from the body and provides all-natural detox. Soluble fiber soaks up harmful fats, excess estrogen and harmful compounds before the body can absorb them. Studies also found fiber effective for an instant power-up. The steady glucose levels in your body provide you with sustained energy throughout the day. Whole wheat, corn bran, barley, brown rice, seeds, nuts, cabbage, onions, tomatoes and dark green leafy vegetables are rich in insoluble fiber.
Reduced heart disease risk
People with a diet rich in fiber and micronutrients are remarkable for excellent cardiovascular health than people with a modern diet. Higher consumption of fiber and daily exercise lowers cholesterol levels and decreases the risk of high blood pressure. According to research by health experts, when you eat 7 grams of fiber daily, your risk of heart disease is reduced by 9 per cent. That is due to the ability of fiber to eliminate excess cholesterol in your system and remove it before it can cause damage.
Less inflammation
fiber is a prebiotic, which plays a vital role in improving gut health. It is important for the body for battling inflammation and lower the risk of diseases in the body. C-reactive protein CRP is a sign of acute inflammation in the body, and fiber has natural fighting properties against CRP. A high fiber diet protects against CRP, which is more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and diabetes while coursing through your blood.
Better mental health
Believe it or not, constipation is one of the most common complaints of almost everyone. Unhealthy bowel movements can cause stress and tension, which eventually can disturb mental health. Many people with the severe issue of constipation complain about headaches and stress. A fiber-rich diet maintains blood sugar levels, keeps the gut healthier, prevents diseases and keeps the body detoxed. All these benefits eventually help maintain a sustainable effect on mental health. According to several types of research, the people who consume enough fiber through their diet tend to have better mental health than those who eat less fiber.
Final words
fiber is a nutrient found in a variety of plant foods and is known to have a variety of health benefits. Eating fiber rich diet can be an effective strategy to lose extra pounds and maintain a healthy weight. fiber improves healthy bowel movement, reduces risks of diseases, maintains suitable sugar levels, makes your skin glow, and provides a healthy long life. However, you need to understand that fiber supplements have fewer overall health effects than fiber-rich whole foods. So, try to consume as much fiber as possible through fiber-rich whole foods. Now add lots of fiber to your diet and reap all these benefits.