What is fiber?
The importance of sufficient fiber for a healthy lifestyle and tips for increasing your fiber intake in your diet.
Key Takeaways
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua
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Dietary fiber is the part of plant food that the human body cannot digest or absorb. Fiber is mainly found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, and is best known for its ability to relieve constipation and facilitate a healthy GI tract. When eating foods with dietary fiber, the body absorbs components like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, but the fiber passes intact throughout the stomach, small intestine, large intestine (also called the colon), and then out of the human body.
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Types of Dietary Fiber
There are two main types of dietary fiber: Soluble and insoluble. According to the Mayo Clinic, soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels.
Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley, and psyllium.
Insoluble fiber promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk, benefiting people with constipation or irregular stools.
Whole-kate, i think this should be grain, as in whole grain flour instead of "wheat" wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, beans, and vegetables, such as cauliflower, green beans, and potatoes, are good sources of insoluble fiber.
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Benefits of High Fiber Diet
A high-fiber diet carries many benefits, such as normalizing bowel movements, maintaining bowel health, lowering cholesterol levels, controlling blood sugar levels, helping people achieve healthy weight, and generally increasing lifespan.
Dietary Recommendations
Per the Mayo Clinic, it is recommended that men, aged 50 or younger, consume 38 grams of fiber a day, and men, aged 51 and older, consume 30 grams of fiber a day.
For women, aged 50 and younger, it is recommended they consume 25 grams of fiber a day, and for women 51 and older, they should consume at least 21 grams of fiber each day.