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The healthy dietary fiber

What are dietary fiber?

Dietary fibers are particularly coarse carbohydrates from vegetable foods, such as cereal products, fruits and vegetables, which differ from the normal carbohydrates of the diet by not degrading the digestive enzymes of the gastrointestinal tract, thus reaching the large intestine relatively unchanged.

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Two types of dietary fiber

Generally, however, there are two types of dietary fiber, the soluble and the insoluble, which differ significantly because of their ability to bind water into the digestive system.

  • The soluble fibers form gels with water and can bind up to 15 times their own weight in water. The watering makes the food more full, which reduces the emptying rate of the gastrointestinal tract and increases the dietary residence time in the small intestine. The soluble fibers are found primarily in fresh and dried fruits, carrots, oats, barley, rye, rye bread and beans. In general, however, vegetable foods contain both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber.

  • The insoluble fibers, as the name suggests, can not dissolve in water, but sucks some water while at the same time they are fermented in the small and large intestines. Unlike the soluble fibers, the insoluble fibers increase the passage rate of the food in the intestinal tract as a result of increased mechanical influence on the intestinal wall and a larger volume of the large intestine. The result is a well-functioning digestion, but a barely soothing effect. You will find among other things the insoluble fiber in wheat bran, grahamsmel, wheat products and unpolished rice.

What characteristics have dietary fiber?

Push into digestion

Because the fiber fibers pass relatively undistorted through the system, they unfold a number of favorable properties. One of the immediate ones is the ability to propagate digestion and thereby get a hard stomach as well as ensure a regular stool. In the longer term, the dietary fibers, through their influence on body fat and carbohydrate metabolism and the general function of the intestine, have a positive influence on, among other things, the cholesterol level and the risk of developing certain cancers.

Prevents cardiovascular disease

Several studies show that a fiber-rich diet helps to prevent cardiovascular disease. The consequence of eating too few dietary fiber is, on the other hand, that the risk of cholesterol deposits rises, as does the level of harmful fat in the blood increase. The reason for the beneficial effects of the dietary fibers is complex, but one of the primary ones is their ability to reduce the blood's unhealthy fat by, for example, delaying and preventing some of the food's uptake, including fat and cholesterol.

Oatmeal and several other fiber-rich foods such as barley, rye and mushroom contain some water-soluble dietary fibers of a particular type, called Betaglucan. They have been shown to have particularly great influence on liver cholesterol production because they form an aqueous gel that binds a lot of bile salts and therefore "forces" the liver to produce new bile salts using cholesterol from the blood. This lowers the cholesterol level.

Prevents cancer

Also with regard to cancer prevention, there are numerous mechanisms of action that will enter into force. One of the most important, however, is that the dietary fibers by giving the bowel volume a lot of fullness and bringing the food faster through the system reduces the time that potentially carcinogens are in contact with the intestinal walls. Studies show that, for example, eating 30 grams of dietary fiber instead of 15 grams of dietary fiber daily reduces your risk of developing intestinal cancer by 40 percent.

The dietary fibers protect not only the intestines against cancer. There is solid evidence that other cancers occur rarely among people who eat a fiber-rich diet. The reason is, among other things, that the fibers affect the intestinal flora in a favorable direction. An increasing number of studies indicate that human intestinal flora has a major influence on the immune system's strength, as well as the production of more hormones.

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How many fibers should I eat?

Judged from a health perspective, it is important to eat fiber-free. Unfortunately, studies on the Danes dietary habits show that the intake is low. The reason is that the consumption of whole grains is far below the recommendations. Based on the recommendation to eat at least 75 grams of whole grains a day, less than 10 percent of the population lives up to this. Especially among children and women, it is increasingly apparent that the rye bread is deselected in favor of less fiber-rich alternatives, such as wheat and French bread.

The intake of vegetable fibers is also declining because many Danes increasingly eat low-fat salad vegetables, such as peppers, tomato, cucumber and main salad, at the expense of coarse fiber-rich vegetables, such as cauliflower, kale, peas and celeriac.

According to the Nordic Nutrient Recommendations, dietary fiber intake should be at least 3 grams per 1000 kiloJoule (approximately 250 kcal) of energy consumed during the day. It corresponds to most adults to 25-35 grams a day. There is no upper ceiling on the intake for healthy adults, nor is it recommended for the intake of specific types of dietary fiber.

Smokers eating older and other people who need to eat relatively energy-efficient foods should eat a less fiber-rich diet like little children. This is because dietary fiber increases the value of the food and thus makes it difficult to get the required amount of calories.

For small children, the recommendation is lower than for adults. This is because children's relationship between body weight and energy requirements differs significantly from adults. As a rule, therefore, an intake of approximately 2 grams per 1000 kiloJoule (approximately 250 kcal) is recommended.

Good sources of dietary fiber

There is a long range of fiber-rich foods. If you want to increase your daily intake, it will be relatively easy by increasing the intake of coarse vegetables, as well as whole grain products. Fruit can also be a good source of dietary fiber. The list here shows the content of fibers in a range of common foods. At Danmarks F?devareforskning you can search for fiber content in over a thousand different foods.

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Fiber in numbers

Below you can see a table of contents of dietary fiber per 100 grams in a variety of foods in the categories: vegetables, cereal products and fruit.

VegetablesDietary fiber per 100 grams
100 grams cauliflower2.4 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of broccoli3.3 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams beans, green3.0 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of adzuki bean sprouts5.0 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of spring bulbs2.6 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of green cabbage6.2 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams carrot2.3 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of earthquake2.6 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of tangerine5.0 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of kohlrabi2.9 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of parsnip4.5 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of persillerod4.0 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of rhubarb3.8 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of sprouts4.1 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of beetroot2.3 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of celeriac4.0 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of sunshine3.3 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of tomato2.3 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of peas6.0 grams of dietary fiber
cerealsDietary fiber per 100 grams
-----
100 grams of all bran flakes15.0 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of dried beans15.0 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of grahambread5.2 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of oatmeal9.0 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of wheat bran36.0 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of coarse crispbread16.3 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of muesli7.8 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of rough rye bread9.2 grams of dietary fiber
FruitDietary fiber per 100 grams
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100 grams of fig / dried apricot9.5 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of raspberries4.4 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams strawberries1.6 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of dried sword7.5 grams of dietary fiber
100 grams of gooseberries3.2 grams of dietary fiber
The healthy dietary fiber

FAQ - 💬

❓ What are the benefits of dietary fiber?

👉 6 Health Benefits of Dietary Fiber

  • It Boosts Digestive Health. The different types of fiber work in various ways to help you maintain or achieve digestive health. ...
  • It Boosts Heart Health. ...
  • It Improves Immunity and Mental Health. ...
  • It Reduces Cancer Risk. ...
  • It Reduces Diabetes Risk and Effects. ...
  • It Helps With Weight Loss.

❓ How much dietary fiber is needed in a healthy diet?

👉 Women should try to eat at least 21 to 25 grams of fiber a day, while men should aim for 30 to 38 grams a day. Here's a look at how much dietary fiber is found in some common foods. When buying packaged foods, check the Nutrition Facts label for fiber content. It can vary among brands.

❓ Which form of fiber is best?

👉 Fibers that are soluble, viscous and fermentable seem to be the healthiest, by far. Resistant starches are also incredibly healthy. Good sources of healthy fibers include vegetables, fruits, oats, legumes, nuts, dark chocolate, avocados, chia seeds and various other foods.

❓ Which fruit has the most fiber?

👉 Raspberries win the fiber race at 8 grams per cup. Exotic fruits are also good sources of fiber: A mango has 5 grams, a persimmon has 6, and 1 cup of guava has about 9.

❓ What diseases does fiber prevent?

👉 Control of blood glucose and weight is important because these are risk factors for diabetes, a condition which doubles the risk of developing heart disease. Epidemiological studies find that a high intake of dietary fiber is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and deaths from cardiovascular disease.

❓ What food is highest in fiber?

👉 High-fiber foods you should be eating

  • Whole-wheat pasta. Carbs get a bad rap, but whole grains are a great source of fiber and are also rich in healthy phytonutrients (believed to help prevent various diseases), Taylor says. ...
  • Barley. ...
  • Chickpeas. ...
  • Edamame. ...
  • Lentils and split peas. ...
  • Berries. ...
  • Pears. ...
  • Artichokes hearts.

❓ Which fruit has most fiber?

👉 Raspberries win the fiber race at 8 grams per cup. Exotic fruits are also good sources of fiber: A mango has 5 grams, a persimmon has 6, and 1 cup of guava has about 9.

❓ What fruit has the most fiber?

👉 Raspberries win the fiber race at 8 grams per cup. Exotic fruits are also good sources of fiber: A mango has 5 grams, a persimmon has 6, and 1 cup of guava has about 9.

❓ Are eggs high in fiber?

👉 Scrambled eggs are protein-packed, but they're not a good source of fiber. You can change that by tossing in some chopped veggies like spinach, broccoli, artichoke, or avocado.

❓ What is the highest fiber food?

👉 Top 10 High-Fiber Foods

  1. Beans. Lentils and other beans are an easy way to sneak fiber into your diet in soups, stews and salads. ...
  2. Broccoli. This veggie can get pigeonholed as the fiber vegetable. ...
  3. Berries. ...
  4. Avocados. ...
  5. Popcorn. ...
  6. Whole Grains. ...
  7. Apples. ...
  8. Dried Fruits.

❓ What happens if you don't eat enough fiber?

👉 Fiber helps support your gut and microbiome health, so if you don't get enough fiber, you may experience irregular bowel movement, constipation, blood sugar fluctuations, lack of satiety after eating or a rise in cholesterol levels.

❓ What are the health benefits of fiber?

👉 But foods containing fiber can provide other health benefits as well, such as helping to maintain a healthy weight and lowering your risk of diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. Selecting tasty foods that provide fiber isn't difficult.

❓ How much fiber do you need to be healthy?

👉 Children and adults need at least 20 to 30 grams of fiber per day for good health, but most Americans get only about 15 grams a day. Great sources are whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and beans.

❓ What foods are rich in dietary fiber?

👉 Dietary fibers are found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The amount of fiber contained in common foods are in the following table: Dietary fiber is found in plants, typically eaten whole, raw or cooked, although fiber can be added to make dietary supplements and fiber-rich processed foods.

❓ What are some good sources of soluble and insoluble fiber?

👉 Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, beans and vegetables, such as cauliflower, green beans and potatoes, are good sources of insoluble fiber. The amount of soluble and insoluble fiber varies in different plant foods. To receive the greatest health benefit, eat a wide variety of high-fiber foods.


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