Everyone has heard of fiber and how good it is for you, but a lot of people don’t realize that there are two types of fiber. Insoluble and soluble fiber.
Fiber is very important to a healthy digestive system and most Americans don’t get enough fiber in their food. So many people resort to all kinds of different medicines such as laxatives and then they try the fiber pills and powders, when all they have to do is eat more of the right foods. The right foods are less expensive than all the fiber pills and powders as well.
It is important to get both types of these dietary fibers in your daily diet.
Soluble fiber.
This fiber is the type of fiber that is found in most fruits. This type of fiber dissolves in liquid and is absorbed readily into the body. Soluble fiber turns into a sort of gel in the digestive tract and this keeps the rate of food from passing through the body too fast. That is important in that it gives the body time to absorb the nutrients. This is one reason a healthy digestive tract is so important, this is where the body gets its nutrients.
Insoluble fiber.
This is the type of fiber that is found in most vegetables. It does not dissolve in liquid and helps keep the digestive tract free of any blockages. This fiber does absorb liquid and expands in the digestive tract, gently and effectively keeps things moving through the system while “scraping’ the interior walls of the digestive tract clean. This helps a great deal in keeping the system clean which is very important in preventing the condition diverticulosis.
Health benefits.
A diet high in dietary fiber keeps the good bacteria in the intestines healthy, which makes a healthy digestive system.
A high fiber diet also can prevent diverticulosis, constipation and colon cancers and is considered a heart healthy food and can help against diabetes by regulated blood sugar levels.
Soluble fiber seems to bind with cholesterol allowing it to be eliminated and lowering the cholesterol level by as much as 10% to 15%.
The colon is where the final process of digestion occurs, if the waste passes too quickly through the intestines, not enough water is absorbed and diarrhea occurs, and if the waste is passed too slowly, too much water is absorbed and then constipation occurs which can lead to more serious problems. The right amount of fiber in the diet is important to your health.
Current research says that we should eat between 20 and 35 grams of fiber per day. Studies show that the average American eats 12 to 17 grams per day, and only 3 or 4 grams of this is the soluble fiber. The recommended amount of soluble fiber per day is 5 to 10 grams per day.
When you consider the average American diet, it’s easy to see why it is too low in fiber. These foods have little or no fiber. Meat doesn’t have any fiber in it and the white breads and buns have little fiber compared to the whole wheat versions.
Foods high in soluble fiber
- Nuts and seeds
- Oatmeal
- Apples
- Pears
- Berries, strawberries, blueberries
- Legumes, beans, peas and lentils
- Psyllium
Foods high in insoluble fiber
- Wheat bran
- Whole wheat bread
- Whole grain cereal
- Oatmeal
- Seeds
- Vegetables like carrots, summer squash, celery and tomatoes.
Many foods contain both of these fiber types, such as carrots, apples and potatoes. The flesh part contains soluble fiber and the skins contain the insoluble fiber.
Note: If you have been eating a diet very low in fiber and decide to change to a healthier high fiber diet, go slow. Don’t all of a sudden eat a bunch of brown rice all day long. Start out slowly because suddenly eating a lot of fiber and your body isn’t used to it, you might feel very bloated. Don’t get discouraged if you feel too full or bloated after eating a lot of fiber all of a sudden. Start out slowly, eat slowly and like its always been said, it is much healthier to chew your food completely, that also helps digestion.
This web site is very good, type in any food and amount and it will give you the fiber in that food:
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
These web sites have a list of foods and the amount broken down into soluble and insoluble fiber amount
http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/soluble-fiber-foods-list.html
http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/seniors/fiberchart.html
Sam Montana © 03 December 2008
