Your body uses vitamins, minerals and nutrients to perform vital bodily functions. A healthy diet consists of a variety of balanced nutrients, including protein, complex carbohydrates, grains, fruits and vegetables. Dietary fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet and plays an important role in bowel health. Insoluble fiber, found in fruits, has several health benefits.
Function
Insoluble fiber is the indigestible parts of plants. The insoluble fiber found in fruits such as apples, oranges, pineapples, melons and grapes is essential to bowel health. It does not absorb water, and instead passes through your digestive system intact. As it flows through the digestive system, it acts as a cleaner, sweeping up particles in the intestines. This promotes the movement of materials through the digestive system and adds bulk to stools.
Bowel Regularity
A lack of fiber contributes to constipation as well as hard, dry, difficult-to-pass stools. When you eat insoluble fiber-rich fruits, you reduce your risk of suffering from constipation. Insoluble fiber helps to provide bulk to stools, making them easier to pass, promoting bowel regularity. Healthy stools are well-sized, soft and bulky. Insoluble fiber helps stools retain the water necessary to soften them and hold waste together. This is beneficial overall, especially if you experience irregular stools.
Blood Sugar
Though fruits contain fructose, which is a simple sugar that your body normally absorbs rapidly, the insoluble fiber in fruit is a complex form of carbohydrate with sugar units linked together. This means the insoluble fiber in fruits helps to balance blood sugar levels by providing a steady release of glucose into the bloodstream. Conversely, fruit juice is stripped of fiber, causing the simple sugars to enter the bloodstream rapidly. According to the Mayo Clinic, a diet high in insoluble fiber is linked to a reduced risk of developing type two diabetes.
Reduced Risk of Hemorroids
Lack of fiber in the diet can lead to stools that are hard to pass, causing you to strain, which can lead to hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are a common condition characterized by painful, swollen veins in the lower rectum, linked to constipation. The insoluble fiber in fruits can help to reduce this condition. According to the Mayo Clinic, dietary fiber reduces the risk of developing hemorrhoids.
Member Comments