Importance of Dietary Fibers
Dietary fibers are a nutritious component of your meal. Fibers can prevent a large number illness. Plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, are the only sources of dietary fibers. Although, your body could not digest fibers, but they provide the essential bulk or roughage needed for detoxing your body.
Types of dietary fibers
Dietary fibers are either soluble or insoluble. Soluble fibers are the ones that dissolve in water to produce a gel-like substance. Popular foods with high content of soluble fibers are apple, banana, citrus fruits, carrots, broccoli, pears, dates, prunes, berries, peaches, peas, beans, sesame seeds, rye, oat bran and psyllium.
Insoluble fibers could not dissolve in water. Green leafy vegetables, skins of fruits and root vegetables, whole grains, seeds nuts, green beans and bran are some rich sources of insoluble fibers.
Health benefits of dietary fibers
Regulates bowel movement
Dietary fibers help to regulate bowel movement. By softening the bowel, dietary fibers heal constipation. Fibers are also effective in treating diarrhea. It adds bulk to the stool and absorbs water, making the stool less watery. Regular intake of dietary fibers could prevent hemorrhoids, diverticular disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
Helps weight loss
A high fiber diet is an essential part of any weight loss program. By binding with the fat contents in your digestive tract, dietary fibers remove the fats from your body. Moreover, a high fiber meal makes your feel full for a long time. By curbing hunger, dietary fibers could prevent over eating and binge eating. Soluble fibers can reduce the low-density lipoprotein in the body. A fiber rich diet is considered beneficial for the cardiovascular health.
Food for diabetics
Soluble fibers are especially beneficial for people suffering from diabetes. It helps to normalize the blood sugar level. A high fiber diet could even reduce the risk of diabetes.
Daily dietary fiber requirement
According to the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, men and women below 50 years of age require respectively 38 and 25 grams of dietary fibers per day. 30 grams and 21 grams of fibers per day are sufficient respectively for men and women above 51.
