Types of Dietary Fiber

Fibers are long, thread like structures that are present in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Fibers are an essential nutrient for good health and are helpful in practicing preventive health care. Though indigestible, they have proved to be extremely useful in case of maintaining bowel regularity and preventing constipation. Other benefits of fibers include lower cholesterol, reduced risk of heart disease and managing chronic diarrhea. Proper intake of fibrous food promises a reduced transit time and results in a more thorough evacuation of waste materials. The average recommended fiber intake per day ranges from 25 to 40 grams. Talking about the types of fiber, there are basically two types, depending on its solubility - water-soluble and insoluble.

Soluble Fiber
The chief characteristic of this type of fiber is its dissolvability. Soluble fiber effectively dissolves in water. Mainly comprised of pectins, gums and mucilages, such fibers, reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood and the risks of heart and artery disease and atherosclerosis. Apart from this, it helps in weight control reducing the risk of developing obesity, stabilizes blood sugar and lower blood sugar levels. Some of the foods rich in water-soluble fiber are oat bran, legumes, psyllium, nuts, beans, apples, oranges, carrots, strawberries, citrus fruits, soy beans, apricots, dates, raisins, flax seed and beets

Benefits of Soluble Fiber

One of the most significant benefits of soluble fibers is it slows down digestion in the stomach and small intestine, thereby helping in stabilizing blood glucose levels. The slow speed helps in increasing the uptake of minerals and other nutrients in food, as the food remains in the digestive tract for a long time.

Soluble fiber is helpful in terms of weight loss, as it reduces calories, but in a healthy manner. As the fiber comes in contact with the water present in the digestive tract, it forms a thick gel. The result is swelling due to a slow digestive process. Such a state increases our feeling of fullness but with no addition of calories.

Soluble fibers unite with the bile acids and cholesterol in the digestive tract, thereby avoiding them from being absorbed by the body. This helps in reducing blood cholesterol levels.

Large quantities of soluble fiber intake help in maintaining the diabetes, by slowing the absorption of glucose from the small intestine.

Insoluble Fiber
Just as the name suggests, insoluble fiber cannot be dissolved in water. The most significant function of insoluble fiber is collection of water that increases stool bulk in the large intestine. Apart from preventing constipation and hemorrhoids, it also reduces the risk of colon cancer, by speeding the passage of food through the digestive tract. The rich sources of insoluble fibers are vegetables such as green beans and dark green leafy vegetables, fruit skins and root vegetable skins, whole-wheat products, wheat oat, corn bran and seeds & nuts.

Benefits of Insoluble Fiber

High intake of insoluble fibers helps in curing problems related to constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diverticulitis. It helps in increasing stool volume and stimulating normal bowel contractions, and as such reduces the transit time through the colon.

Consumption of insoluble fibers helps in reducing the absorption of salt and toxins. The former proves useful in reducing the risk of high blood pressure.

Insoluble fibers consumption is an effective weight-control measure. By consuming a diet rich in insoluble fibers, you tend to feel fuller fast and thus helps in lowering the appetite, thereby reducing weight.

Much like soluble fibers, insoluble fibers help in maintaining diabetes. It slows the absorption of glucose, thereby stabilizing sugar level in the body.