Fiber dietary fiber. The importance of dietary fiber in nutrition. Why does the body need dietary fiber?

Alimentary fiber is the indigestible part of plant food that helps move food inside our digestive system, absorbing water along the way and improving bowel function.

The word "fiber" comes from the Latin word "fiber", which means thread. Fiber is not digested by the body's enzymes and therefore is not absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, but it is an excellent nutrient medium for beneficial intestinal microflora.

In this article we will look at Various types fiber, why it's important and which foods are high in fiber.

Soluble and insoluble fibers

Fibers are composed of non-starch polysaccharides such as inulin, cellulose, lignin, dextrins, chitins, pectin, beta-glucans, gums and oligosaccharides. Sometimes the word "fiber" is misleading, as many types of dietary fiber are not.

There are two main types of fiber, insoluble and soluble.

• Soluble dietary fiber, clearly dissolves in water. As they absorb water, they swell and become jelly-like. As it moves through the digestive system, the fiber is processed by bacteria.
• Insoluble dietary fiber do not dissolve in water and do not change their shape when passing through the digestive tract.

Both types of dietary fiber are present in all plant foods, but rarely in equal proportions.

Fiber-rich foods

Eating healthy involves calculating your calories, including foods rich in vitamins and nutrients, avoiding saturated fat, and Special attention on sources of dietary fiber,

Below are foods that contain high amounts of fiber.

The role and benefits of insoluble dietary fiber

Not soluble fiber play great importance for the body, one of them is to ensure optimal functioning of the intestines, as well as regulating the pH level of acidity in the intestines.

Beneficial properties of insoluble dietary fiber:

• Promotes regular bowel movements and prevents constipation, reduces the risk of developing colitis, hemorrhoids and colon cancer;
• Accelerate the removal of toxic substances from the body through the colon;
• By maintaining an optimal pH balance in the intestines, insoluble fiber helps prevent the proliferation of pathogenic microflora that can lead to colorectal cancer.

Dietary sources of insoluble fiber include vegetables and greens—especially dark leafy greens, root vegetable skins, fruit skins, whole wheat products, corn and wheat bran, nuts and seeds.

Functions and beneficial properties of soluble fiber

Soluble fiber binds fatty acids, slows the time and rate at which sugar is absorbed by the body, helping regulate blood sugar levels, and promotes normal operation gastrointestinal tract.

Benefits of Soluble Fiber:

• , especially LDL levels ( bad cholesterol), thereby reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases;
• Regulates the absorption of sugar by the body, this is important, especially for people suffering from diabetes and metabolic syndrome. People with diabetes who consume a lot of fiber have lower insulin requirements than those who consume less.

Food sources of soluble dietary fiber include: beans, pinto beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, spinach, oranges, apples, grapefruits, prunes, grapes, oat groats and bread from whole grain.

The norm of fiber for the human body

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the recommended daily requirement fiber for women is 25 g, and for men - 38 g. However, after 50 years of age the recommended daily norm for men it is reduced to 30 g, and for women to 21 g.

Most nutritionists say the ratio of insoluble to soluble fiber should be 75% and 25%, respectively, or 3 parts insoluble fiber to every 1 part soluble. Since most foods containing high amounts of fiber are of both types, this is something to consider.

Oats, oat bran, psyllium husk and flax seeds are rich in both types of dietary fiber. In other words, your focus should not be on any specific type of fiber, but on your fiber intake in general.

For example, if you consume 25g of fiber every day, then you are already meeting your daily needs. Ideally, this is five servings of vegetables and fruits, plus a small portion of whole grains, daily.

In fact, statistics show that most people globe daily consumption of dietary fiber is much lower than normal, approximately 15 g. About 80% of the population suffers from such a deficiency.

Other reasons to eat fiber

Eating fiber every day brings great benefit for good health. For example, if you include products with high content dietary fiber into your daily diet, then this... Dietary fiber fills the stomach and makes you feel full without adding calories (since calories from fiber are not absorbed by the body) - this helps in treatment or prevention excess weight and obesity.

High fiber foods are beneficial for other reasons as well. Take, for example, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. All of them are not only high in fiber, but also rich in vitamins and other essential nutrients. In other words, if you are looking for foods high in fiber, consuming them will not only protect your health due to the presence of fiber, but also because you will get the additional necessary nutrients.

Food allergies and fiber

If you are suffering from food allergies, getting enough fiber from some foods can be a challenge. You will have to look for appropriate products that do not cause allergies. Therefore, to receive daily required amount Dietary fiber may be a little more difficult for you than for people without allergies. Pharmacies can help solve the problem. They sell dietary fiber in the form of supplements that are added to food or taken as a meal on its own.

High fiber foods that may cause allergies:

• apples
• pears
• fresh melons
• broccoli
• potato
• carrot
• swede
• green bean
• zucchini
• pumpkin

How to supplement your diet with dietary fiber

• Introduce more often into your diet fresh vegetables and fruits, eat them raw.
• Start your morning with a bowl of whole grain porridge rich in dietary fiber (one serving contains 5 to 7 or more grams healthy fiber).
• Add both fresh and dried berries and fruits. By doing this, you will not only improve the taste of your food, but also get an additional 2 to 5 grams of healthy fiber in your diet.
• Use only whole grain cereals for cooking.
• Instead of the usual white bread from refined premium flour, opt for bread made from wholemeal flour.
• When drinking juices, give preference to juices with pulp, as they contain a lot of soft dietary fiber.

Where to buy and how to consume fiber

You can buy very tasty apple fiber as a source of insoluble fiber. For best effect it is recommended to be used together with soluble fiber and probiotics. For soluble fiber, I use If the powder is mixed with water, it turns into a tasteless gel, so I take a teaspoon of both types of fiber and mix in a glass of water, immediately drink along with the probiotic capsule. It turns out delicious. Apple fiber can also be used as a dietary supplement different dishes, it only improves their taste and aroma.

I will explain very simply why dietary fiber is good for the body, and how it helps in weight loss.

Dietary fiber (fiber) is a type of carbohydrate found in plants. But unlike carbohydrates, which are found in starchy and sweet food, fiber is almost insoluble gastric juice in the intestinal tract. Why is it important? Because the body cannot digest fiber, it passes almost unchanged through the stomach, intestines and is disposed of from the body.

There are two forms of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Research has shown that soluble fiber lowers cholesterol levels, which may help prevent heart disease. Insoluble fiber do not dissolve in water and are less susceptible to fermentation. Both forms of fiber are important.

Why dietary fiber is good for the body

Do you know everything about the benefits of fiber for our body? What role does dietary fiber play in the digestive process, and why are we always told to add more fiber to our diet? ?

1. Fiber – promotes weight loss and normalization. Swelling in the stomach, it promotes rapid saturation and a feeling of fullness (eating fewer calories).
2. Fiber – removes toxins. Passing through thin and colon, fiber binds toxins, carcinogenic substances and removes them from the body.
3. Fiber – Helps control blood sugar levels. Fiber is complex carbohydrates, which, being in the stomach, slow down the process of absorption of carbohydrates.
4. Fiber is food for beneficial bacteria in our intestines, so fiber supports healthy correct work intestines. Increases immunity.
5. Fiber – reduces cholesterol levels in the body.

Products containing soluble dietary fiber (per 100 grams):

• Beans - 15g
• Barley - 15.6g
• Peas – 26g
• Soy – 9.3 g
• Buckwheat porridge – 17g
• Lentils – 31g
• Oatmeal – 10.6g
• Rice – 1.3g
• Beetroot - 2g
• Apple – 2.4g
• Potatoes – 2.2g
• Walnut – 6.7g
• Bananas – 2.6g
• Celery – 2g
• Mushrooms – 1g

Products containing insoluble dietary fiber (per 100 grams):

• Barley – 15.6g
• Brown rice – 3.5g
• Wheat bran – 14g
• Whole grain bread – 5g
• Tomatoes – 1.2g
• Cabbage (white cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower) – 2.5g
• Carrot – 2.8g
• Green beans – 2g
• Onion – 1.7g
• Raisins – 6g
• Artichoke – 8.6g

Dietary fiber in our family's diet

The body should receive 30–38 g of fiber per day. Why don't many people pay attention to this? IN natural products very little fiber, technological progress reduces the healthfulness of the foods we eat. I add fiber containing foods to my diet. Lack of time and a busy work day do not allow you to eat the right amount of fiber. We increase the lack of dietary fiber in our family by using and, which you can read about on my website.

By adding dietary fiber to your diet, you can feel full faster and longer, which can help you lose and control weight. If you increase the amount of healthy fiber in your diet, you will significantly improve your health and be able to easily control your weight.

All modern nutritionists recommend including as much dietary fiber as possible in your menu (other names are fiber, ballast substances, indigestible or indigestible carbohydrates). The benefits that these substances bring to the human body, is difficult to overestimate. In this article we will look at the benefits of dietary fiber and what are its main sources.

Types of dietary fiber

Fiber is something that does not provide energy to the body, but performs a number of functions. important functions. It is divided into two types:

The benefits of fiber

Products containing dietary fiber, both insoluble and soluble, must be present in the daily diet. Fiber prevents the formation of stones in gallbladder and helps reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. In addition, dietary fiber cleanses the body of toxic compounds and quickly saturates without extra calories. At regular use foods containing fiber help prevent bowel cancer and diseases of cardio-vascular system. Coarse fibers significantly slow down the process of absorption of carbohydrates and fats, which helps not only normalize weight, but also blood sugar levels. Products containing coarse dietary fiber (bran, whole wheat, young peas, soya beans, cabbage, apples, freshly squeezed orange juice) , have in their composition a large number of microelements that the body needs. Thanks to fiber, beneficial bacteria living in the intestines produce enzymes and improve the functioning of the digestive system.

How do dietary fibers and fiber help you lose weight?

Fiber, swelling in the stomach, helps quickly satisfy hunger and prevents overeating. Coarse fiber slows down the absorption of sugar after eating, which provides a long-lasting feeling of fullness. By replacing more energy-dense foods with fiber, the intake of excess calories into the body is reduced. In the intestines, coarse fibers act as an adsorbent, cleansing the body of excess fats. Fiber contains a significant amount of potassium, which acts as a sodium antagonist. Therefore, foods rich in dietary fiber help remove excess fluid from the body.

Fiber against skin diseases

Sick, suffering skin diseases, especially psoriasis, eczema, neurodermatitis, to improve the condition, you must first normalize the stool. Feces, stagnating in the intestines, cause severe intoxication on the body, which is manifested by itching and rashes on the skin. Dietary fiber is hygroscopic, that is, it is able to retain water, which ensures bowel movement. So, raw vegetables(cabbage, apple, carrots, beets), swelling in the stomach, increase their original volume twice, bran - five times. Coarse fibers stimulate intestinal motility and provide natural cleansing of the body. Walking through gastrointestinal tract, dietary fiber envelops and removes a significant amount of various poisons: xenobiotics, radionuclides, nitrosamines, heavy metals(cadmium, mercury, lead, strontium and others).

How to properly increase your intake of coarse dietary fiber?

A sharp increase in diet can cause bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. You should eat no more than 25-30 g of dietary fiber per day. First, you should replace the usual ones that contain a large amount of fiber. Instead of white bread, eat regular bran bread cornflakes replace with flaked bran. Whole grains are an excellent source of dietary fiber. Oatmeal is very healthy daily use which is useful not only for appearance, and for internal state. It is necessary to give preference to products that require minimal heat treatment. It is preferable to steam, stew or bake, and it is better, if possible, to eat raw foods. Diet, rich in fiber, undoubtedly good for health. Indeed, in addition to the cleansing effect, dietary fiber saturates the body essential vitamins and microelements. However, if there are chronic diseases pancreas or digestive system, you should consult your doctor before changing your usual diet.

Possible side effects

You also need to know about the consequences of uncontrolled consumption of fiber:

Include in daily diet more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, freshly squeezed juices and you will have not only enviable slimness, but also excellent health.

Probably every person has heard about the benefits and necessity of correct and balanced nutrition. But few people apply this knowledge in practice. In most cases, people don’t even think about what they eat and what benefits such food brings to their body. However, each of our cells needs a systematic supply of nutrients. In addition, a sufficient supply of other food components, including dietary fiber, also plays an important role. Let's talk on this page www.site about where dietary fiber is contained, the benefits and harm from them in the diet for our body.

In order to understand the role and benefits of dietary fiber, you first need to know what these substances are. So, dietary fiber is particles of products of a very different chemical nature that are not capable of being digested by stomach enzymes, as well as small intestine. However, such elements are necessary for normal balance beneficial intestinal microflora. It is worth immediately noting that dietary fiber is present exclusively in plant foods, and they simply cannot be in products of animal origin.

IN certain cases Instead of the term dietary fiber, the term fiber is used, but such a replacement is not very correct. Fiber is essentially just cellulose, it is the main component cell walls plants, but there are other dietary fibers besides it.

Scientists know soluble dietary fibers, represented by pectins, gums, mucilages and some fractions of hemicellulose. Such substances swell in the digestive tract and become jelly-like.

There are also insoluble dietary fibers, including the cellulose we have already mentioned, as well as lignin and hemicellulose. These substances are called coarse fibers, since they pass through the gastrointestinal tract, completely retaining their shape.

Benefits of dietary fiber

Dietary fiber in foods brings many benefits to our body. Their effect becomes noticeable already in oral cavity, because food that contains a lot of dietary fiber requires especially long chewing than refined foods. Chewing stimulates salivation and digestive processes, and also brushes teeth and massages gums.

Dietary fiber can also cleanse the body of cholesterol, as well as bile acids. Scientists have proven that such food particles quite well slow down the absorption of sugar into the blood from the gastrointestinal tract. This feature will be of particular interest to patients suffering from diabetes mellitus second type.

Dietary fiber in the human diet can cleanse the body of various aggressive substances; in particular, they effectively remove heavy metals, toxic substances and radionuclides.

Such food components retain some water, which stimulates more efficient bowel movements. In addition, they are also needed for the full implementation of other functions. digestive tract, for example, for the successful production of hormones in the intestines, for the effective synthesis of B vitamins and other elements.

Availability of adequate amount of dietary fiber in daily diet helps maintain immunity at the proper level and activate protective forces body. It is believed that such food elements are the main food for beneficial bacteria that are normally present in the digestive tract.

It is believed that consuming dietary fiber helps rejuvenate the body and quite effectively get rid of excess weight. Also, such a dietary supplement significantly reduces the likelihood of developing oncological diseases, cardiovascular diseases and urolithiasis.

Foods rich in dietary fiber

A significant amount of dietary fiber is contained in bran, whole grains legumes and cereal crops, as well as in whole grain products made from them. You can also saturate your body with dietary fiber by consuming a significant amount of vegetables and fruits, nuts and dried fruits, as well as herbs.

Maximum amount dietary fiber is found in raw foods nutrition. If you want to preserve them while cooking, it is better to cook the food by stewing or steaming.

But more specifically, where there is dietary fiber (content in products per 100 grams):

Wheat bran (45), figs (18.5), potatoes (11.9), dried apricots (10.1), apricots (9.6), wholemeal wheat (9.5), peanuts (9.3), prunes (9.2), hazelnuts (7.73), beans (7.6), raspberries (7.4), oatmeal(7), raisins (6.8), canned peas (6.3), millet (4.7), rye-wheat (4.5), black currant (4.2), rye wallpaper (3.8) , boiled beans (3.35), pearl barley (3), gooseberries (2.9), white cabbage (2.8), apples (2.6), peaches (2.3), grapefruits (2.2), tangerines (2.2), strawberries (2.2), turnips (2.2), eggplants (2.2), green onions (2.1), wheat pan bread (2.1), peas (2.09 ), pears (2), oranges (2), plums (1.9), grapes (1.8), apricots (1.8), cauliflower (1.8), rhubarb (1.78), peppers ( 1.4), melon (1.3), oatmeal (1.3), cherries (1.2), carrots (1.2), pumpkin (1.2), Strawberry jam(1.12), buckwheat (1.1), beets (0.9), canned tomatoes (0.85), fresh tomatoes (0.8), zucchini (0.8), cucumbers (0.7) , watermelon (0.5), corn (0.45), rice (0.4), semolina (0,2)

Will dietary fiber cause harm to the human body?

Excessive intake of dietary fiber can cause constipation (especially with insufficient water consumption), flatulence, microflora disorders, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. In patients with gastrointestinal diseases chronic type exacerbation of diseases may occur. In addition, if consumed excessively, dietary fiber can remove from the body not only aggressive substances, but also microelements. Active intake of them in food may be incompatible with therapy with certain medications. Significant dietary fiber intake may also interfere with the optimal absorption of calcium, aluminum, zinc, as well as phosphorus, magnesium and several vitamins. Men should not get carried away with dietary fiber, as its excess in the body can contribute to a decrease in the amount of testosterone in the blood. And this, in turn, can negatively affect libido and potency.

If you have digestive tract diseases, it is better to consult your doctor before saturating your diet with significant amounts of dietary fiber.

Dietary fiber enters the human body with plant foods in the form of indigestible carbohydrates. All of them are polymers of monosaccharides and their derivatives. Indigestible carbohydrates can be divided into “rough” and “soft” dietary fiber.

From "rude" dietary fiber in food products most often present cellulose(cellulose). It, like starch, is a polymer of glucose, however, due to differences in the structure of the molecular chain, cellulose is not broken down in the human intestine. TO "soft" Dietary fibers include pectins, gums, dextrans, and agarose.

"Rude" And "soft" dietary fiber is not a source of energy. In humans, they can only be partially broken down in the colon by microorganisms. Thus, cellulose is broken down by 30-40%, hemicellulose - by 60-80%, pectin substances - by 95%. The bacteria use almost all the energy released for their own needs.

Most of the monosaccharides formed during the decomposition of dietary fiber are converted into volatile fatty acids (propionic, butyric and acetic). They can be partially absorbed through the intestinal walls, but only about 1% of the nutrients formed during the breakdown of dietary fiber enter the human body. In energy metabolism, this share is negligible and is usually neglected. Lignin, which is quite abundant in cell membranes plant products, is not broken down or absorbed at all in the human body.

Dietary fiber is traditionally called “ballast substances,” although it has long been known that they play a vital role in the digestive processes and in the functioning of the body as a whole. The functions of dietary fiber are varied. They reduce the rate of absorption of mono- and disaccharides into the intestines and thereby protect the body from high content glucose in the blood and increased synthesis of insulin, which stimulates fat synthesis. The participation of dietary fiber in lipid metabolism does not end there.

Dietary fiber increases the binding and removal from the body of bile acids, neutral steroids, including cholesterol, reduces the absorption of cholesterol and fats in small intestine. They reduce the synthesis of cholesterol, lipoproteins and fatty acids in the liver, accelerate the synthesis of lipase in adipose tissue - an enzyme under the influence of which fat breaks down, that is, they have a positive effect on fat metabolism.

Coarse fibers

Coarse dietary fiber for weight loss.

Thus, dietary fiber to some extent prevents deviation from ideal mass. They reduce the level of cholesterol and phospholipids in bile, preventing the loss of gallstones. The effect on cholesterol metabolism is especially pronounced in pectins, in particular apple and citrus.

Ballast substances make up about a third feces, ensure normal peristalsis of the intestines and biliary tract, prevent the development of constipation, hemorrhoids, and colon cancer. If there is not enough fiber in the diet, then food passes through the gastrointestinal tract slowly, and feces accumulate in the colon. Hippocrates also recommended the use of grain bran to combat constipation.

Dietary fiber binds from 8 to 50% of nitrosamines and other heterocyclic compounds that have carcinogenic activity. These substances are formed when frying meat, and are also an essential participant in the digestion process, as they are formed during the breakdown of bile enzymes in the intestines. Long-term retention of feces in the colon causes the accumulation and absorption of carcinogenic compounds, which increases the likelihood of developing tumors not only in the intestinal tract, but also in other organs.

In addition, dietary fiber is a substrate on which bacteria develop intestinal microflora, and pectins are also one of the nutrients for these bacteria. Important Pectins also have sorbing properties - the ability to bind and remove cholesterol, radionuclides, heavy metals (lead, mercury, strontium, cadmium, etc.) and carcinogenic substances from the body.

Pectins promote healing of the intestinal mucosa when it is damaged. The normal intestinal microflora includes several hundred species of bacteria. Some of them absorb nutrients through the biochemical processes of rotting and fermentation. Pectins suppress the vital activity of these microorganisms, which helps normalize the composition of the intestinal microflora.

All this is fundamental for the use of dietary fiber in the prevention and treatment of obesity, atherosclerosis, coronary disease hearts, hypertension, oncological diseases, diseases of the digestive system.

The mechanism of action of dietary fiber in the treatment and prevention of obesity based on the fact that if they are sufficiently supplied with food:

• the rate of gastric emptying decreases;
• its stretching increases, which helps suppress appetite, creates a feeling of fullness, preventing overeating;
• replacing more energy-intensive foods in the diet with dietary fiber helps reduce energy intake from food;
• Due to its effect on the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats, dietary fiber reduces fat synthesis in adipose tissue;
• dietary fiber is a source of potassium and has diuretic effect, that is, they help remove water and sodium from the body.