Known as the essential part of a healthy and balanced diet, fiber carries dietary advantages such as high satiety and helps in weight loss, lowering cholesterol, and improving blood insulin sensitivity.
ROLE OF FIBER:
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that falls under the macronutrient – but acts differently. It cannot be completely broken down by the digestive enzymes, but aids digestion.
FIBER HAS MANY BENEFITS:
Dietary Benefits:
- More food volume
- Fewer calories
- High satiety
All the above factors help in reducing hunger and keeping us full for long. This can be helpful in improving adherence in a calorie deficit state.
Health Benefits of fibers:
- Lowers cholesterol
- Improves blood insulin sensitivity
- Aids weight loss
Dietary Fiber is of two types:
- Soluble: It attracts water and turns into a gel-like substance. Found in foods like oats, beans, fruits, etc.
- Insoluble: Adds bulk to the stool and regulates the bowel movement. Found in foods like whole grains, many green vegetables.
Both types of fiber are important for good gut health and digestion. As long as you are getting enough dietary fiber from the diet, you will get both the fiber sufficiently.
Recommended intake: AHA recommends 25-30 gm of dietary fiber intake every day.
Quick tip: Increase your fiber intake gradually so that your digestive system can adjust to it. Adding too much fiber suddenly can cause issues like intestinal gas and bloating.