eating dietary fiber isnt just for weight loss youre underestimating its power

Before reading this article, please put on a few more layers because the knowledge might be a bit chilly.Honestly, I was mentally prepared that the readership might not be very high, but you should know that this is basic knowledge of nutrition. Once you learn it, you will realize: maintaining health is such a simple matter.

Just like building a house requires a foundation, as a science communicator, I must teach you these basics so you can learn better and more solidly.So, please be patient and read through this article; you will gain a different perspective on life.

Let's start today's program: Just how powerful is dietary fiber?

Why is your impression of it limited to weight loss?

Is this a distortion of human nature or a loss of morality?

Welcome to 'Approaching Science': Dietary Fiber - The Guardian of Human Health.

Next, you will see:

1. What exactly is dietary fiber?

2. Just how powerful is dietary fiber?

3. Food sources of dietary fiber

4. Three misconceptions about dietary fiber

Nutrition experts always remind us to eat more dietary fiber, but what exactly is it?

The professional definition is: polysaccharides found in plants that cannot be digested or absorbed by the human body.

In layman's terms...

First, any food that grows in the ground contains dietary fiber,not just the vegetables, fruits, and whole grains you might think of.Mushrooms and nuts also contain rich amounts of dietary fiber (we'll discuss this later).

Secondly, dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate,which can be divided into simple and complex categories.Dietary fiber belongs to the complex category and is a polysaccharide, making it quite unique.

Why is it unique?

Because it cannot be digested or absorbed by the human body, nor can it provide energy.See the connection? This is why people associate dietary fiber with weight loss. I think the root cause lies here.

So, does this mean dietary fiber is useless, a waste?

Absolutely not. Exceptional individuals are often unique, and dietary fiber has done great things for our bodies. Don't believe me? Keep reading.

Before we clarify this issue, let's first understand the classification of dietary fiber.

1. Classification of dietary fiber

Water-soluble fiber, as the name suggests, can dissolve in water. Like cement, it expands when it absorbs water, making the food mass sticky.For example, when you soak oatmeal, have you noticed that it becomes sticky over time?

That's the work of the water-soluble fiber in the oatmeal.

Insoluble dietary fiber doesn't dissolve in water, but it mixes with the food mass like rebar,helping to support the food mass, increasing its volume, thereby enhancing satiety and stimulating intestinal peristalsis.These two types of fibers are inseparable buddies, and most plant-based foods contain both types.

2. Functions of dietary fiber

Because dietary fiber can expand when it encounters water and bind tightly with other substances, its health benefits increase significantly.

First and foremost is the well-known benefit of weight loss.

(1)Controlling weight and aiding in weight loss

Reason:Dietary fiber combines with food and expands in the stomach, increasing its volume and viscosity, enhancing satiety, and making you eat less.Additionally, since it doesn't provide energy, it helps reduce energy intake.

(2) Lowering serum cholesterol and preventing heart disease

Reason:This involves a substance called bile acid,which is a component of digestive juices secreted by the liver that promotes the absorption of fats and cholesterol.

However, dietary fiber can absorb bile acids.

With less bile acid, the absorption rate of fats and cholesterol decreases, which helps lower blood lipids and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.

(3) Helping to control blood sugar and maintain balance

Reason:First, because dietary fiber is not digested or absorbed by the intestines and does not provide energy, it does not raise blood sugar levels.Additionally, dietary fiber mixed with food can reduce the absorption of sugars in the small intestine, thereby slowly raising blood sugar levels.

Because dietary fiber steps in, the pancreas doesn't need to secrete as much insulin to metabolize sugar, reducing the workload on the pancreas and lowering the risk of diabetes.

(4) Promoting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria

Reason:Water-soluble dietary fiber can be fermented by intestinal bacteria to synthesize short-chain fatty acids,which serve as a breeding ground for probiotics.Short-chain fatty acids can also regulate the pH of the intestines, further promoting the growth of probiotics.With strong probiotics, harmful bacteria in the intestines can't cause trouble, making the intestines healthier.

(5) Enhancing intestinal function and aiding in waste elimination

Reason:As mentioned earlier, dietary fiber expands when it encounters water and combines with stool, making it larger and softer, facilitating its elimination.Additionally, cellulose can promote intestinal peristalsis, speeding up bowel movements.Moreover, dietary fiber can carry small amounts of cholesterol, fat, and heavy metals from food out with the stool,making you feel light and refreshed.

(6) Preventing colon cancer

Reason:Faster stool elimination means it spends less time in the intestines,reducing the contact time between carcinogens and the easily infected intestinal mucosa, thereby lowering the risk of cancer.

These six points summarize the benefits of dietary fiber. See, it's like an all-rounder, a central air-conditioning level of a warm guy!

In an era where obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are rampant, dietary fiber is the hero here to save humanity!

Quickly share this with those around you who don't like eating fruits and vegetables, so they can see what they're missing out on!

Since dietary fiber is so great, which foods are high in dietary fiber? Here's a chart for you.

Here, I want to emphasize vegetables. Generally, wild vegetables have higher dietary fiber content than cultivated ones, and dark green vegetables have more than light-colored ones.

So, does this mean all vegetables are high in dietary fiber?

No, usually fruit vegetables like tomatoes (0.5%), cucumbers (0.5%), and winter melons (0.7%) are relatively low.So, if you're constipated, you now know which vegetables to choose!For those who want to lose weight but also love nuts, you can choose almonds.

With so many benefits, does it mean the more dietary fiber you eat, the better?

No, excessive intake is not beneficial because dietary fiber can bind with iron, calcium, and zinc, affecting their absorption and utilization, leading to malnutrition over time.The standard is to consume 30g per day.For example, silver ear mushrooms, which are high in dietary fiber, about 100g of them equate to 30g of dietary fiber.However, I don't recommend meeting this requirement with a single food; a varied diet is better.

Unfortunately, statistics show that the dietary fiber intake of residents in our country is far below the standard.Come on! You, who seem ordinary and unremarkable, finally have a chance to shine!Hopefully, at future gatherings, people will stop urging each other to drink and instead

To help everyone use it better, I've listed some frequently asked questions and their answers.

1. Do vegetables with fibers have higher dietary fiber content than those without?

NO!

It's like how you can't tell a truly wealthy person is wearing any branded clothes, but that doesn't mean they're not rich.

For example, sweet potatoes don't have fibers, but their fiber content is much higher than that of fibrous napa cabbage.Additionally, as mentioned earlier, wood ear mushrooms, silver ear mushrooms, and seaweed don't have fibers but are very high in dietary fiber.

2. Does chopping or blending vegetables destroy their fiber's health benefits?

No.

The characteristic of fiber not being digestible by the small intestineis not changed by physical processing.

Whether chopped or cooked, it remains the same.Yes, it's not afraid of being chopped!

Research has measured the swelling and water-holding capacity of dietary fiber in burdock residue,and found that when it is ground to a range of 355um-250um,the swelling and water-holding capacity of the dietary fiber remain basically unchanged.However, under normal circumstances, there's no need to grind it too finely,as this can lead to the loss of other easily oxidized nutrients and cause you to eat more food.

3. Does eating more dietary fiber mean more weight loss?

Dietary fiber expands in the stomach when it absorbs water, creating a feeling of fullness and reducing the intake of other foods, which indeed helps with weight loss.But if you don't reduce the intake of other foods while eating dietary fiber, it won't help with weight loss.

Nowadays, there are many high-fiber cookies on the market that claim to help with weight loss, but I want to clarify that you might end up gaining weight.Because dietary fiber cannot be digested, especially insoluble fiber, it doesn't taste good,so a lot of fat is added to improve the taste, and you might end up consuming more fat than fiber. Don't be fooled.

That's all for today's cold knowledge. I believe you will now strive to meet the standard and win at the starting line of health.After all, good things happen to those who live long enough.

Summary:

Functions of dietary fiber

1. Controlling weight and aiding in weight loss

2. Lowering serum cholesterol and preventing heart disease

3. Helping to control blood sugar and maintain balance

4. Promoting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria

5. Enhancing intestinal function and aiding in waste elimination

6. Preventing colon cancer

References

[1] Sun Changhao, Editor-in-Chief. Nutrition and Food Hygiene. Eighth Edition, People's Medical Publishing House, 2017.

[2] Yang Yuexin, Zhang Lishi, Mi Mantian. Public Nutritionist. Beijing: China Labor and Social Security Publishing House, 2012.

[3] Yang Yuexin, Wang Guangya, Pan Xingchang. Chinese Food Composition Table. Beijing: Peking University Medical Press, 2002.

[4] Fan Zhihong, Several Myths About Dietary Fiber, 2009.

[5] Xu Jing, Zhang Tao, Jiang Bo, et al. Study on the Microstructure and Physical Properties of Dietary Fiber in Burdock Residue [J]. Food Industry Technology, 2010, 7:026.