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Fiber is one of the most important components of any diet. Its absence or excess leads to detrimental consequences for the human gastrointestinal tract. How much fiber should you consume for a healthy diet? Which fiber sources should you choose? Which products contain the most of it, and which do not have it at all? What are the benefits of fiber and is there any harm, as well as what are the functions and properties of this element of the human diet - you will learn about all this from our article.
Fiber - what is it in simple terms?
Fiber is a type of complex carbohydrate, plant fiber formed from parts of plants. Cabbage leaves, bean and seed skins, plant stems and grains are all examples of fiber.
In addition to fiber, which is formed under natural conditions, there is also a food additive of the same name. It is also a complex carbohydrate formula that cannot be broken down in the gastrointestinal tract, and is used for dietary purposes (source - Wikipedia).
Dietary plant fibers are not digested by enzymes in the digestive tract. Beneficial intestinal microflora is responsible for their processing.
If fiber is not absorbed by our body, then what is its benefit? First of all, fiber helps food move out of the digestive system faster. The longer food is digested inside the gastrointestinal tract, the more difficult it is to eliminate it later without consequences, such as gas or bloating. Fiber speeds up this process and helps the body cleanse itself naturally.
That is why fiber is indicated for those who have intestinal problems.
Answers to popular questions
How and should you take tablets?
Pharmacists position fiber tablets as a means of cleansing the intestines and promoting weight loss. We believe that such weight loss has nothing to do with the principles of healthy weight loss and proper nutrition!
The tablets simply swell in the stomach, taking up its space, thereby dulling the feeling of hunger; by the way, they very often cause heartburn, which is not at all surprising.
Fiber tablets most often come from microcrystalline cellulose. MCC is a food additive made from hard particles that are removed from cotton during fabric production. MCC is not digested by the stomach and is not absorbed by the intestines, due to which it reduces the amount of energy received.
With the same success, you can eat a tomato 10 minutes before a meal and slightly dull your appetite, rather than choke on pills (as many as 3-5 before each meal).
With kefir at night
Oh, this notorious magic combination of protein and fiber for weight loss! Contrary to popular belief, this is not a fat-burning drink that accelerates metabolism. More precisely not so. Any food “speeds up” metabolism to some extent, but this magical effect ends when the food is digested.
And there are no products with negative calories at all - Secrets for losing weight: fat-burning foods with negative calories .
You can of course drink fiber kefir at night or during the day if you like the taste. However, you must understand that this is a kind of real oxymoron: fiber tends to thoroughly cleanse your colon, but kefir (which is especially old for more than 3 days) on the contrary, strengthens it. So the effect may be strange
