Dietary fiber should not be missing in the context of a healthy diet. They have a positive effect on the body’s digestion by ensuring that the stool remains soft. Thus, they can effectively prevent constipation. Adults should consume about 30 grams of dietary fiber per day, for example in foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes. However, you should not supply the body with too much dietary fiber either: Otherwise, not only bloating, but also problems in the mineral balance can occur.
Structure of dietary fiber
Dietary fiber is found almost exclusively in plant foods and is largely indigestible to the body. That is, they are not broken down in the stomach and intestines and are excreted almost undigested. This is because they cannot be broken down, or only incompletely, by the enzymes found in the gastrointestinal tract. The dietary fiber group includes various substances, including substances such as:
- Pectin
- Inulin
- Cellulose
- Hemicellulose
- Agar-agar
- Guar
- Lignin
Generally, a distinction is made between water-soluble and water-insoluble substances. Water-soluble fiber is mainly in foods such as fruits and vegetables, water-insoluble, on the other hand, more in whole grain products.
Positive effect on digestion
Dietary fibers have some positive effects on digestion. Namely, as swelling and filling agents, they can bind water to themselves – in some cases up to 100 times their own weight. This increases the stool volume in the intestine and stimulates intestinal peristalsis, i.e. intestinal activity. In addition, the stool becomes looser and can be excreted more easily. Dietary fiber also has a positive effect on the intestinal flora. They serve as a nutritional basis for the “good” intestinal bacteria that have settled there. These can multiply particularly well if sufficient dietary fiber is present.
Other health effects
In addition to the positive effect on digestion, dietary fiber is also said to prevent or reduce the risk of certain diseases. These include arteriosclerosis, heart attacks and diabetes (type 2). The substances ensure that the blood sugar level rises only slowly after eating. As a result, they can not only prevent diabetes, but also play an important role in the daily diet of diabetics. In addition to blood sugar levels, dietary fiber can also have a positive effect on cholesterol levels. Moreover, studies indicate that with sufficient consumption, some types of cancer occur less frequently. However, whether dietary fiber can really reduce the risk of colon cancer has yet to be scientifically proven. What is more certain is that they can prevent other diseases in the rectal area – hemorrhoids, for example.
Dietary fiber has hardly any calories
Dietary fibers are mostly indigestible. As a result, they provide the body with hardly any energy and thus have almost no calories: Only two calories are calculated for 100 grams of dietary fiber. However, foods with a lot of dietary fiber, such as whole-grain bread or whole-grain pasta, sometimes have a relatively high number of calories. At first glance, they therefore do not seem to be suitable for losing weight. However, since dietary fiber keeps you full for a long time, it can make sense to use it as part of a diet. However, you should be careful not to eat too many fatty or sugary foods at the same time. For this reason, you should also avoid nuts as much as possible when dieting: Although these are rich in fiber, they also contain a lot of fat. 10 healthy types of bread
Nutrition: foods rich in fiber
It is generally recommended to consume about 30 grams of fiber per day. In Germany, however, most people consume significantly less, about 23 grams for women and 25 grams for men. This is due, among other things, to the fact that a lot of white flour products are eaten. If you want to pay attention to a high-fiber diet, you should reach for the following foods:
- Fruits such as apples, pears, berries, kiwis or citrus fruits.
- Vegetables such as broccoli, peas, carrots, potatoes and Brussels and white cabbage.
- Whole grain products such as wholemeal bread or wholemeal pasta.
- Nuts and seeds
- Legumes such as peas, lentils or beans
Dried fruits such as dried apricots or dried plums are also particularly rich in fiber. Here, however, you should note that these also have a high sugar content and thus contain many calories.
Change diet slowly
For sensitive individuals, increased consumption of fiber can cause bloating. Therefore, slowly accustom your body to an increased dose. For example, start by replacing white bread with whole-grain bread. Likewise, you can use whole-grain pasta instead of regular pasta. Or simply consume a little more fruit and vegetables (preferably with peel!) during the course of the day. Attention: If you pay more attention to a high-fiber diet, you should also adjust your drinking habits. Since dietary fiber can bind water in the intestines, a sufficiently high fluid intake is especially important. Also, don’t eat too much dietary fiber: since it binds minerals and trace elements as well as water, deficiency symptoms can otherwise occur.
