The Benefits of Fiber for Body Microflora
In our era, more and more attention is being paid to a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. And one of the key elements of a healthy diet is fiber. However, how do you choose the right kind of fiber for specific goals, such as lowering sugar and cholesterol levels, supporting healthy microflora in the gut, or improving gut function? In this article, we’ll break down what fiber is, where it’s found, and which fiber is best for your goals.
Whether your goal is to lower blood sugar and insulin levels, lower cholesterol, or support healthy microflora in the gut, there are different types of fiber that can help you achieve the results you want. Let’s break down which fiber to choose depending on your needs and goals.
- Fiber – An Essential Element of a Healthy Diet: Reasons for Indigestibility and Benefits for the Body
- Types of Fiber and Their Role in Human Health
- How Does Non-Fermentable Fiber Affect Health?
- How Soluble Fermentable Fiber Can Improve Your Health: Health Benefits and Uses
- Viscous Soluble Fermentable Fiber and Its Effect on the Body
- Non-Viscous Fermentable Fiber for Healthy Digestion
- Conclusion
Fiber – An Essential Element of a Healthy Diet: Reasons for Indigestibility and Benefits for the Body
Fiber is an incredibly useful substance for our body that is found in plant foods. It is a complex of non-digestible plant fibers that pass through our digestive tract, helping to cleanse the intestines and prevent constipation.
Fiber is found in all plants, including fruits, vegetables, berries, nuts, legumes, and whole grains. Depending on the type of food, the amount of fiber can vary greatly. For example, oatmeal has about 10% of its dry matter as fiber, while lettuce and cabbage have about 2.5 grams per 100 grams of product.
But do not think that fiber is a separate component of plant foods. It interacts with all the other substances found in plants, enriching them with nutrients and improving their absorption. Fiber also helps reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and supports healthy gut flora. Although no single food consists entirely of fiber, its importance to a healthy diet cannot be underestimated. And you need to remember to include it in your diet.
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that consists of chains of sugars or phenols linked together. It is a polymer, that is, a chain of homogeneous molecules. Fiber cannot be processed by our digestive system because our enzymes cannot break down its molecules. Therefore, fiber remains intact in the stomach and small intestine until it reaches the large intestine.
Only there can the bacteria that live in our intestines decompose fiber into molecules of a simpler form that can be digested by our bodies. The bacteria decompose fiber with their own enzymes, which allows them to use it as a source of energy and nutrients. Thus, eating foods rich in fiber can be beneficial to our body because it promotes normal gut and microbiome function.
Types of Fiber and Their Role in Human Health
In order to understand the properties of fiber and to make the right choices in its use, it is necessary to understand its classification. Fiber can be classified as fermentable and non-fermentable, as well as soluble and insoluble.
When we speak of fiber as fermentable, we mean that it is available for fermentation by bacterial enzymes. This means that fiber has not been fermented before but can be fermented in our stomach and intestines. Fermentable fiber is an important nutrient component for our gut microbiota, which plays an important role in maintaining our health and immunity.
Non-fermentable fiber, on the other hand, is not available for fermentation in our bodies. It does not dissolve in water and passes through our digestive tract unchanged. Non-fermentable fiber, also known as insoluble fiber, plays an important role in our health by helping to normalize intestinal microflora and improving intestinal peristalsis.
Fiber can also be classified as soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel mass that can help reduce blood cholesterol levels. It can also promote slower absorption of carbohydrates, which helps reduce fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Insoluble fiber is not water soluble, but it can help improve intestinal peristalsis and prevent constipation.
How Does Non-Fermentable Fiber Affect Health?
Although non-fermentable fiber has no direct benefit for optimizing microflora, it still plays an important role in digestion and maintaining gut health. For example, wheat bran and flaxseeds contain large amounts of non-fermentable fiber that is not processed in the stomach and small intestine. It passes through the body in an almost unchanged form, but effectively cleanses the intestines and stimulates their motility.
Bran contains not only fiber, but also many nutrients such as B vitamins, iron, magnesium and zinc. In addition, they help reduce blood cholesterol levels and stabilize sugar levels. Flax seeds, on the other hand, contain both insoluble and soluble fiber. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in the intestine, which slows down digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. This helps reduce the amount of glucose in the blood and helps control sugar levels in people with diabetes.
Thus, non-fermentable fiber can be good for gut health and help improve digestion as well as prevent many diseases associated with poor eating habits. Bran and flax seeds are an excellent source of such fiber and can be included in a healthy diet.
So, if you have problems with constipation, eating fiber from wheat bran and flax seeds can be beneficial. However, it is important to remember that fiber must be coarse and coarse to irritate the intestines and stimulate the production of water and mucus.
If the fiber is too finely ground, it will not be effective enough in fighting constipation, and may even make things worse. Such fiber can stick together inside the intestines, making the stools harder and more rigid, leading to even more constipation problems. So if you want to benefit from fiber, choose coarse and coarse fiber from wheat bran or flax seeds.
Fiber in soluble form, such as psyllium, is non-fermentable and cannot serve as food for bacteria in the gut, which prevents gas and bloating. Psyllium also has gel-forming properties that increase intestinal volume and promote better peristalsis.
Psyllium is the seed husk of a special Indian plantain, which can have positive health effects. In particular, psyllium can help regulate blood glucose levels and reduce appetite by activating the production of glucagon-like peptide-1. It also increases bowel volume, which promotes normal emptying, and lowers cholesterol levels, which benefits the cardiovascular system.
Psyllium can also reduce insulin and glucose levels, which is especially helpful for people with diabetes. However, if a person has bowel elongation, dolichasigm or dolichacolam, using psyllium can lead to problems, increased constipation and discomfort. Therefore, a doctor should be consulted before starting to use psyllium. If the use of psyllium is still recommended, you should start with a small dose (1 teaspoon) and gradually increase it to avoid unpleasant consequences.
How Soluble Fermentable Fiber Can Improve Your Health: Health Benefits and Uses
There are different types of fiber, one of which is fermentable fiber. Unlike non-fermentable fiber, which does not break down in the stomach and is not digested by the body, fermentable fiber helps feed our bacterial microflora. This is why this type of fiber is recommended for people who have impaired intestinal microflora.
Disrupted microflora can affect various aspects of a person’s health, from mental abilities to immunity and weight. For example, an abnormal gut microflora can lead to obesity or conversely, weight loss, as well as cancers and metabolic disorders. Fermentable fiber also plays an important role in maintaining immunity.
Most types of fermentable fiber are water soluble. However, they can be divided into two categories: those that form a gel when dissolved and those that do not form a gel. In other words, they are viscous soluble fermentable fiber and liquid soluble fermentable fiber.
Viscous Soluble Fermentable Fiber and Its Effect on the Body
Viscous soluble fermentable fiber, particularly beta-glucans, is one of the most beneficial types of fiber for intestinal health. Beta-glucans are found primarily in foods such as oatmeal and barley, including pearl barley. When these fibers enter the intestines, they are fermented by bacteria, resulting in the formation of a gel that increases intestinal volume.
In addition, beta-glucans have a number of other health benefits. They can help normalize stools, which is especially important for people who suffer from constipation or diarrhea. They can also help lower blood cholesterol levels, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Studies have also shown that beta-glucans can reduce blood glucose and insulin levels, which can be helpful for people with or prone to diabetes.
So, if you want to improve gut health and overall body health, including foods containing viscous soluble fermentable fiber, such as beta-glucans, in your diet may be a helpful solution. Oatmeal, barley, and pearl barley are great sources of this fiber, which can help you saturate your gut microflora and improve your health.
Non-Viscous Fermentable Fiber for Healthy Digestion
Soluble non-fermentable fiber is one type of dietary fiber found in plant foods. It is called soluble unbound because it can dissolve in water, and fermentable because it can be fermented in the intestine. Soluble fiber does not have the ability to form a gel and therefore does not increase the volume of intestinal contents.
This category of dietary fiber includes inulin and resistant starches. Inulin is found in chicory, root vegetables that are used as a substitute for coffee, and some other plants. Resistant starches can be found in foods such as refrigerated rice and potatoes.
Although non-viscous soluble fiber is not effective in improving gut peristalsis, it can have a positive effect on the gut microbiome. Resistant starches, which are part of soluble fiber, serve as food for beneficial bacteria in the gut and can help strengthen the immune system and improve overall health.
To get resistant starches from rice or potatoes, you need to boil these foods and refrigerate them. The next day, a significant amount of resistant starches will form in them. However, keep in mind that potatoes and rice also contain common starches, which can have a negative effect on blood sugar levels and weight. Therefore, it is important to eat these foods in moderation.
There are also prepared foods that contain resistant starches, such as potato starch or corn starch. These can be used as an ingredient in cooking to provide the body with resistant starches and improve gut microbiome function.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the different types of fiber and their role in the body can help maintain a healthy lifestyle. To combat constipation and improve bowel function, consume insoluble non-fermentable fiber such as wheat bran or flax seeds, as well as psyllium, which is a non-fermentable soluble gelling fiber, and beta-glucans found in oats and barley.
If the goal is to maintain a healthy microflora, however, fermentable fiber should be consumed. But in any case, when you eat vegetables, fruits, berries and nuts, you get quite a variety of fiber in different proportions, which is good for the health of the body as a whole.