The role of dietary fiber

Dietary fiber is one of the essential nutrients, including water-soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber, the former including gum, pectin, algae gum, soy gum, the latter including cellulose, lignin. What is the role of dietary fiber, which foods are rich in dietary fiber, and see below.

Maintain intestinal health

The intestine is the largest immune organ in the body, and 70% of the lymph is distributed in the intestine. Dietary fiber, which is difficult to be digested by the stomach, enters the intestine to benefit the growth of probiotics, inhibit the reproduction of harmful bacteria, and maintain the normal function of the intestine.

Anti-constipation

Dietary fiber is very absorbent and becomes larger after absorbing water, thus increasing the volume of the intestinal tract, making the stool looser and softer, smoother and less laborious when passing through the intestine, and having a laxative effect. At the same time, dietary fiber in the intestine can stimulate the contraction and peristalsis of the intestine, reducing the residence time of food in the intestine, speeding up the excretion of stool and keeping the intestine clean.

Treatment of diabetes

Dietary fiber can improve the sensitivity of insulin receptors, thus improving the utilization of insulin; the pectin in dietary fiber can slow down the absorption of glucose, so that the patient's blood sugar does not rise sharply after meals, and has the effect of balancing post-meal blood sugar, thus regulating blood sugar levels. Long-term intake of diabetic patients with more dietary fiber can help relieve hunger and control metabolism after meals.

Prevention of gallstones

Eating foods rich in dietary fiber can lower the cholesterol content in bile, reduce the reabsorption of bile acids, and play a role in preventing gallstones.

Helps to lose weight

Eating more dietary fiber-rich foods such as cereals, whole wheat pasta, legumes, fruits and vegetables while controlling the caloric intake of food helps in weight loss. Viscous fiber can reduce the rate of carbohydrate absorption, which can prevent a rapid rise in blood sugar after meals and affect amino acid metabolism, thus contributing to weight loss.

Cholesterol suppression

Adequate intake of dietary fiber can inhibit the absorption of cholesterol, adsorb a large amount of cholesterol and carry it out of the body, which helps maintain the function of the cardiovascular system and can prevent diabetes, hyperlipidemia and other cardiovascular diseases.

Prevention of bowel cancer

Dietary fiber shortens the residence time of feces in the large intestine and has detoxification and detoxification functions, which reduces the chance of carcinogenic substances in the large intestine to meet with the intestinal wall and can prevent intestinal cancer.

Foods rich in dietary fiber

Animal foods do not contain dietary fiber, the main source of dietary fiber is natural plant foods, such as vegetables, fruits, coarse grains, potatoes and legumes. Dietary fiber in coarse grains is the highest such as whole wheat, brown rice, corn, millet, barley, sorghum, buckwheat, oats and beans; fruits and vegetables with high content of konjac, celery, fungus, shiitake, fern, cauliflower, spinach, leek, winter melon, cucumber, bamboo shoots, grapefruit, cherries, pomegranate, dates, citrus, apples, pears, strawberries. Finely processed plant foods have little fiber content, so to supplement dietary fiber suitable for raw fruits, preferably with the skin together.