Most people nowadays are most probably not aware about the importance of fiber in their diet. In the 1980's sufficient intake of fiber was hailed as one way to lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels and prevent diseases like heart disease, colon cancer, and diabetes mellitus.
Two British doctors, Denis Burkitt and Hugh Trowel, who worked intensively in East Africa found out that Africans seldom showed diseases found in the people in the Western with insufficient fiber in their diet.
What is fiber?
It refers to a range of plant materials from plant cell walls that the human body can't digest.. These are commonly known as roughage and nonstarch polysaccharides NSP. When we eat them, they pass through the body, unchanged, until they reach the large intestine. Here, action takes place, depending on whether the fiber is insoluble or soluble.
What are the types of fiber and how are they acted upon by the body?
INSOLUBLE FIBER
It is like a sponge. It absorbs water. It adds bulk to the fecal matters in the bowel in the large intestine. The insoluble fiber is fermented by bacteria. This process produces fatty acids that nourish the intestinal wall. The added bulk helps to stimulate the muscles of the lower digestive tract. With the added presence of fatty acids, the fecal matter is eased out more quickly.
By speeding waste materials out of the body, toxins are prevented from long contact with the intestinal walls.Insoluble fiber prevent constipation, hemorrhoid, and diverticulitis ( protruding pockets in the intestinal walls that are prone to infection.
SOLUBLE FIBER
As the term suggests, this is a compound that breaks down or is dissolved in the digestive tract and forms fatty acid, as well. The fatty acids are believed to help reduce cholesterol level in the blood. Soluble fiber retards absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. This way, it helps prevent diabetes mellitus and low sugar level or hypoglycemia.
What are the common sources of fiber?
FOODS WITH INSOLUBLE FIBER
- brown rice
- whole grain cereals and bread
- nuts
FOODS WITH SOLUBLE FIBER
- oats
- oat bran
- peas
- beans
- root vegetables
- citrus fruits
FOODS HIGH IN FIBER ( both are soluble and insoluble)
- apples
- pears
- bananas
- barley
- prunes
- cabbage family
Diabetes mellitus is a body condition that requires controlled diet. Hence, diabetics are advised to have a meal plan. Aside from restriction in their sugar intake, a common guideline is necessary to limit its consumption to less than 5% of their total daily calorie intake. It is highly recommended that by planning a diet, it must have an increased fiber in it.
Nutritionists recommend 30 grams each day of fiber to help in digestion, lower cholesterol level, retard absorption of glucose into the bloodstream.
Nutritionists recommend 30 grams each day of fiber to help in digestion, lower cholesterol level, retard absorption of glucose into the bloodstream.
The following are commonly suggested fiber sources , with their size and fiber content.
CEREALS and GRAINS
- all-bran breakfast cereal- 1 oz - 8.5 g fiber
- whole-wheat spaghetti, cooked- 1 cup - 4.5 g fiber
- whole wheat bread- 2 slices - 5.7 g fiber
VEGETABLES and FRUITS
- dried apricots - 1/2 cup - 5.0
- baked potato wityh skin - 1 medium - 5.0
- apple with skin - 1 medium - 3.0
- carrots ( boiled ) - 1 cup - 2.9
- green beans, boiled - 1 cup - 1.1
- raspberry, raw - 1 cup - 2.8
PEAS, BEANS, LENTILS
- red kidney beans or butter beans - 1/2 - 4.3
- lima beans, boiled - 1/2 - 6.2
- lentils, cooked - 1/2 - 4.9
