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What is the benefit of fiber?


Fiber or bagasse is the part of plant-based foods that do not break down during digestion. The fiber reaches the large intestine with little modification, and that's when it does its job: make evacuation easier. Once in the large intestine, the fiber is metabolized by the healthy bacteria present in the colon.

There are two categories of fiber:


Soluble fiber dissolves in water and is found in oats, peas, beans, barley, and many fruits.


Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and is found in whole grain products, bran, nuts, and many vegetables.


All plant foods contain both types of fiber, some more of one type than the other.


The two types of fiber  that help the digestive system function well:


SOLUBRE

  • Pre-biotic, these are soluble fibers that allow the growth of healthy microflora

  • Soluble fiber also promotes healthy microflora growth


INSOLUBLE

  • Insoluble fiber from grains and vegetables helps promote regular evacuation

  • Resistant starch, a type of insoluble fiber, is slowly metabolized by bacteria in the large intestine. This type of starch produces short-chain fatty acids that give anergia to colon cells

Fiber has no calories or vitamins, but it provides a lot of health benefits.


Why consume fiber in the daily diet?


  • Most people need more than 32 grams of fiber a day, and we don't consume it

  • Studies have found that people who eat more fiber tend to develop fewer digestive and cardiovascular diseases

  • Fiber naturally suppresses appetite because when the intestine metabolizes it, the brain receives the signal to stop eating

  • If gut health is bad, it is recommended to eat fermented foods because that fermentation makes the concentration of probiotics larger, thus helping to improve digestion


Here I share the fiber content in some foods (to add up throughout the day):


1/2 cup cooked beans 8 grams

1 pear 4 grams

1 apple 3 grams

1 banana 3 grams

1/2 cup broccoli 3 grams

1 ounce of almonds 3 grams

1 cup cooked oatmeal 5 grams

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