Dietary fiber is a substance found in plants and is important for a healthy diet. Your body does not digest or absorb fiber as it does fats, proteins and carbohydrates; fiber passes through your body and empties from your colon mainly intact. There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble, and both play several important roles in maintaining your health.
Insoluble Fiber
Insoluble fiber helps material move through your digestive system and adds bulk to your stool. This is beneficial for people who experience constipation or irregularity in bowel movements. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, insoluble fiber attaches to carcinogenic compounds, harmful agents that can cause illness, and bile acids. This aids in their elimination from your body since these substances pass out of your body with the fiber. Insoluble fiber contributes extra bulk to food matter and can reduce the amount of time for you to have a bowel movement. As a result, it may help protect you from cancer, since it speeds the elimination of wastes and other harmful agents from your body. Sources of insoluble fiber in your diet include wheat bran, whole wheat flour, whole wheat bread, nuts and a variety of vegetables.
Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber contains sticky pectin and gums that form a gel when it comes in contact with water. The gel absorbs cholesterol and bile acids as it passes through the small intestine before it is excreted. Soluble fiber stabilizes blood sugar levels and also decreases your cholesterol. The best sources of soluble fiber are oat bran, oats, peas, lentils, apples, carrots, fruits, barley, psyllium, and beans. The amount of each type of fiber varies in different plant foods.
Other Health Benefits
Fiber can help you build and maintain healthy bowels. A diet high in fiber may decrease your risk for hemmorhoids. Hemmorhoids can be the result of straining during bowel movements. By increasing your intake of insoluble fiber, you can add bulk to your stool which can help promote movement through your digestive system, reducing the need to strain during bowel movements.
Adding Fiber To Your Diet
You should be cautious when adding fiber to your diet since too much in too short a time period can contribute to flatulence, bloating and abdominal cramping. This can lessen as normal bacteria in your digestive system adapts to the additions of fiber-rich foods. MedlinePlus advises that you add fiber gradually to your diet in order to limit symptoms of diarrhea or gas. MedlinePlus recommends that older children, adolescents, and adults should consume 20 to 35 g of fiber per day.
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