Dietary Fiber
Originally, fiber was defined to be the components of plants that resist human digestive enzymes, a definition that includes lignin and polysaccharides. The definition was later changed to also include resistant starch, along with inulin and other oligosaccharides. Dietary fiber is the indigestible portion of food derived from plants. Dietary fiber comes from the portion of plants that is not digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract. Different types of plants vary in their amount and kind of fiber. Dietary fibers can act by changing the nature of the contents of the gastrointestinal tract and by changing how other nutrients and chemicals are absorbed.
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Types Of Fiber
There are two different kinds of fiber: soluble and insoluble.
Types Of Fiber
There are two different kinds of fiber: soluble and insoluble.
1. Soluble fiber 2. Insoluble fiber
1. Soluble fiber turns into a gel and swells when it hits water. This is the kind of fiber that makes you feel fuller and helps control your blood sugar levels because it slows down digestion. If you want to eat less and lose weight, this is the fiber you want.
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2. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. It can be metabolically inert and provide bulking, or it can be prebiotic and metabolically ferment in the large intestine. Bulking fibers absorb water as they move through the digestive system, easing defecation. Fermentable insoluble fibers mildly promote stool regularity, although not to the extent that bulking fibers do, but they can be readily fermented in the colon into gases and physiologically active byproducts. Insoluble fibers tend to accelerate the movement of food through the system.
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Some types of soluble fiber absorb water to become a gelatinous, viscous substance and is fermented by bacteria in the digestive tract. Some types of insoluble fiber have bulking action and are not fermented.
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Soluble fiber is found in varying quantities in all plant foods, including:
1) Legumes (peas, soybeans, lupins and other beans)
2) Oats, rye, chia, and barley
3) Some fruits (including prunes, plums, avocados, berries, ripe bananas, and the skin of apples, quinces and pears)
4) Certain vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and Jerusalem artichokes
5) Psyllium seed husks (a mucilage soluble fiber) and flax seeds
Sources of insoluble fiber include:
1) Whole grain foods
2) Wheat and corn bran
3) Legumes such as beans and peas
4) Nuts and seeds
5) Vegetables such as green beans, cauliflower, zucchini (courgette), celery, and nopal
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Soluble fiber is found in varying quantities in all plant foods, including:
1) Legumes (peas, soybeans, lupins and other beans)
2) Oats, rye, chia, and barley
3) Some fruits (including prunes, plums, avocados, berries, ripe bananas, and the skin of apples, quinces and pears)
4) Certain vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and Jerusalem artichokes
5) Psyllium seed husks (a mucilage soluble fiber) and flax seeds
Sources of insoluble fiber include:
1) Whole grain foods
2) Wheat and corn bran
3) Legumes such as beans and peas
4) Nuts and seeds
5) Vegetables such as green beans, cauliflower, zucchini (courgette), celery, and nopal
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