Dietary Fibers- A must have in our diets

Dietary fibers (also called as roughage) is the indigestible component of plant foods. The effects of fibers appear to have been known since biblical times, but only in recent years have scientists begun to understand its importance in the daily diet as a means of preventing disease and maintaining health. Although fiber is not a magic bullet that can prevent or cure everything from cancer to indigestion, research does suggest that the typically low-fiber diets consumed in Western industrialized countries may contribute to such widespread illnesses as coronary artery disease, diabetes, and diseases of the large intestine, including cancer.

The typical North American diet is estimated to provide about 15 g of fiber a day. There is no recommended allowance for fiber but many experts suggest you aim for between 25 to 35 g each day.

Now, what are the dietary sources of fibers?

Most fibers come from fruits, vegetables, dried beans, peas, and other legumes, flax, cereals, grains, nuts, and seeds. The outer layer of a grain, which contains the most fiber, is removed in the refining process. This explains why whole-grain products, such as brown rice and whole-wheat bread, are good sources of fibers.

Fibers fall into two broad categories: soluble and insoluble. Most plants contain both kinds of fibers although certain foods are richer in one than the other. The soluble fibers dissolve in water and become sticky. These are found in legumes, lentils, oat bran, oat meal, flax, psyllium, barley, and pectin-rich fruits such as apples, strawberries, and citrus fruits. Insoluble fibers doesn’t dissolve on the contrary, passing through the digestive tract chewed but otherwise largely unchanged. It is found in wheat bran, whole-wheat products, brown rice, the skins of fruits, vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, and peas. Next, we would be discussing about increasing the use of fibers in our diets and how we can do that.