Dietary fiber exists in two forms: soluble and insoluble, both are essential for wellbeing. Dietary fiber is the part of plant-derived food that cannot be completely digested by the human digestive enzymes. Dietary fibres are varied in the chemical constitution and can be grouped generally by their solubility, viscosity and fermentability. Soluble fibre found inside plant cells, absorbs water and forms gel-like substance which delays gastric emptying. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material in the stomach and because of this gel, nutrients are released slowly into the bloodstream. It prevents a sudden spike in blood sugar. Foods high in fiber tend to require very little oil to cook—good news to anyone counting calories.
Health Benefits:
– Aids in digestion and elimination.
– Helps in maintaining healthy gut microflora.
– It relieves constipation.
– It prevents heart disease.
– It lowers LDL cholesterol.
– It lowers blood pressure.
– Fibre has no calories.
– It helps in reducing BMI.
– It induces satiety signals.
– It helps control blood sugar.
– It deceases risk of Type 2 diabetes and obesity.
But what does fiber do to our body?
Fiber isn’t a substitute for any medication you may be taking, it can complement it by naturally helping prevent and/or regulate conditions like diabetes and high cholesterol.
Every day, an adult male requires 30-38 grams and an adult female requires 25 grams of dietary fiber. Fresh vegetables, fruits and a healthy Indian diet should supply enough amount of fiber to meet our daily requirements. Dals are rich in fiber. If you do plan to increase your intake of fiber you must increase the water intake too; ideally 8 to 10 glasses a day. More fiber without more water leads to constipation and related issues.
KIDS and FIBER:
When you introduce fiber rich foods to your child, di it in slow spurts and make them chew thoroughly. It’s easy for the kids to choke if they swallow fiber foods without properly chewing it. Do keep in mind that too much of fiber can worsen symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and cause digestive problems such as bloating. So introduce small portions every day.
