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The fiber we eat, called roughage, comes from grain husks, the skins and flesh of fruit and the tough, fibrous material in vegetables. It cannot be broken down by digestive enzymes and is not able to be absorbed by the body as it passes through the stomach and intestine. Fiber has very few nutrients or calories, and is usually processed out of the many packaged foods consumed today. Two different types of dietary fiber exist, soluble and insoluble. Both types play important roles in maintaining health. No single food, not even common bran, is a good source of all the beneficial types of fiber. Insoluble Fiber - Found in whole grain products, seeds, fresh fruits and veggie - provides bulk, making movements easier and helping to avert constipation. Scientists studying diets high in fiber and low in fat hypothesize that insoluble fiber may help alleviate various gastrointestinal difficulties and may perhaps reduce the risk of curtain cancers. Soluble Fiber - This type of fiber has been shown to help lower cholesterol. Found in oat bran and dried beans and tends to slow down the release of food from the stomach, which helps keep blood sugar levels stable so that you keep from feeling fatigue and weakness connected with low blood sugar levels. Fiber is a fundamental part of our diets. High fiber foods are filling, but low in calories, so as a result they help in the management of weight. Fiber has a important part to perform in maintaining a healthy digestive system. By increasing the volume of fecal material, it aids in the effective passage of waste products through the intestine. It also draws in water from the surrounding blood vessels, which softens the stools, making elimination more regular and easier, thus helping to prevent constipation and hemorrhoids. By reducing the absorption of digested fats, blood cholesterol levels are lowed, thereby reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. Adults should eat about 25-30 grams of fiber a day. Nevertheless, the ordinary American, consuming the typical diet in the west high in animal fats and refined carbohydrates, eats only one half the total amount needed. The National Academy of Sciences recently increased its fiber guidelines to 25g daily for women and 38g daily for men. For children add 5g to your child's age for the correct amount. How Fiber Works - In the digestive system, fiber holds and absorbs moisture, It it kind of acts like a sponge and makes the contents inside of the colon softer and more bulky. This lowers the duration waste materials stay in our 30 foot span of intestinal tract and makes passage easier, thus the pressure in the colon is lowered. - Fiber reduces problems from constipation and diverticulitis which is a weakening if the wall of large intestine caused by pressure from hard stools and is more often than not accompanied with infection. Fiber cleans the intestines by means of its natural scrubbing action. - By increasing the speed of exit of materials through the colon, fiber lowers the possibility of damaging effects from the large amount of drugs, food additives and chemicals in our diets. It also helps remove harmful toxins released in the course of digestion. - A diet with good dietary fiber may lower blood cholesterol levels by reducing the transit phase of dietary cholesterol through the gastrointestinal tract, lowering the absorption of cholesterol from foods.
Article Source: http://www.bharatbhasha.net Article Url: http://www.bharatbhasha.net/food-and-drink.php/211729 Article Added on Saturday, February 6, 2010
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