A Tale of Two Fibers
There are two types of dietary fiber that you are likely to be affected by, and which your health may rely upon.
They are soluble and insoluble fiber.
Soluble fiber can dissolve in water, while insoluble fiber will not.
They both are resistant to human digestive enzymes, however.
The insoluble fiber category consists of cellulose and lignins found in whole grains and other plants.
Some hemicelluloses are also in this category.
It absorbs water, helps you feel full, and stimulates peristalsis of the digestive tract.
Things move along, which is why it is also a laxative.
This is what keeps you regular.
It is thought that this type of fiber, and the movement of goods through the intestinal tract which it causes, is helpful for preventing conditions like diverticulitis and constipation.
When the stool is bulkier from all of this fiber, the stool becomes softer and will float in water.
Denser harder stools tend to sink.
This is a way that you can tell if you are getting enough fiber in your diet.
Hemorrhoids are also prevented by softer easier moving stools.
The soluble fiber category includes pectins in apples and other fruits, and beta glucans in barley and oats.
This kind of fiber lowers the amount of blood cholesterol.
This is why they say that high fiber diets can positively affect heart disease.
Soluble fiber tends to gel up in the presence of water, so it can contribute to a feeling of fullness without adding calories.
Both kinds of fibers are found in plant foods.
No fiver is found in foods from animal origins, which includes meat, dairy, eggs, fish, and poultry.
Some types of foods that contain soluble fiber would be pectin from fruits, beta-glucans from oats and barley, and gums from cereals, seeds, seaweed, and legumes.
Insoluble fiber mainly comes from cellulose in the form of leaves, roots (carrots and root vegetables), whole wheat, bran, and beans.
Hemicellose comes from the coverings of seeds, and lignins come from the stems, leaves, and skin of plants.
The recommendations for fiber intake are 25 grams a day for women younger than 50, 38 grams for men younger than 50, 21 grams for women over 50, and 30 grams for men over 50.
The average consumption is much lower than these guidelines.
If you plan on increasing your intake to match these, do it slowly and make sure that you get enough water in your diet so that the extra fiber doesn't turn into a hard mass or cause other intestinal upset.
Fiber needs to be moist so that it keeps moving along.
It is easy to add fiber to your diet if you just eat enough vegetables and fruits, as well as legumes and some whole grains like full bran oats, barley, and rice.
Always opt for the full fiber version, for example, the difference between brown rice vs.
white rice, and rolled or steel cut oats vs.
the quick kind.
After you are conscious of this for awhile, you will become an expert at it and be able to choose foods practically with your eyes closed.
They are soluble and insoluble fiber.
Soluble fiber can dissolve in water, while insoluble fiber will not.
They both are resistant to human digestive enzymes, however.
The insoluble fiber category consists of cellulose and lignins found in whole grains and other plants.
Some hemicelluloses are also in this category.
It absorbs water, helps you feel full, and stimulates peristalsis of the digestive tract.
Things move along, which is why it is also a laxative.
This is what keeps you regular.
It is thought that this type of fiber, and the movement of goods through the intestinal tract which it causes, is helpful for preventing conditions like diverticulitis and constipation.
When the stool is bulkier from all of this fiber, the stool becomes softer and will float in water.
Denser harder stools tend to sink.
This is a way that you can tell if you are getting enough fiber in your diet.
Hemorrhoids are also prevented by softer easier moving stools.
The soluble fiber category includes pectins in apples and other fruits, and beta glucans in barley and oats.
This kind of fiber lowers the amount of blood cholesterol.
This is why they say that high fiber diets can positively affect heart disease.
Soluble fiber tends to gel up in the presence of water, so it can contribute to a feeling of fullness without adding calories.
Both kinds of fibers are found in plant foods.
No fiver is found in foods from animal origins, which includes meat, dairy, eggs, fish, and poultry.
Some types of foods that contain soluble fiber would be pectin from fruits, beta-glucans from oats and barley, and gums from cereals, seeds, seaweed, and legumes.
Insoluble fiber mainly comes from cellulose in the form of leaves, roots (carrots and root vegetables), whole wheat, bran, and beans.
Hemicellose comes from the coverings of seeds, and lignins come from the stems, leaves, and skin of plants.
The recommendations for fiber intake are 25 grams a day for women younger than 50, 38 grams for men younger than 50, 21 grams for women over 50, and 30 grams for men over 50.
The average consumption is much lower than these guidelines.
If you plan on increasing your intake to match these, do it slowly and make sure that you get enough water in your diet so that the extra fiber doesn't turn into a hard mass or cause other intestinal upset.
Fiber needs to be moist so that it keeps moving along.
It is easy to add fiber to your diet if you just eat enough vegetables and fruits, as well as legumes and some whole grains like full bran oats, barley, and rice.
Always opt for the full fiber version, for example, the difference between brown rice vs.
white rice, and rolled or steel cut oats vs.
the quick kind.
After you are conscious of this for awhile, you will become an expert at it and be able to choose foods practically with your eyes closed.
