Dietary Fiber – Why is it Important to Get Enough?
Everyone should know by now that fiber is an important part of a balanced diet. But what exactly are dietary fibers, why are they so important for our bodies, how and where do we find them, and most importantly, how much should we consume?
It is time to take a closer look at the subject and examine this nutritional classic with new knowledge.
Essential Helpers for a Healthy Diet
To take it in: Far from being a burden, dietary fiber is now recognized as one of the “best friends” of our gut and our microbiome. This is a fact that has not been widely accepted by doctors and nutritionists for a long time. To understand this, it is important to know exactly what dietary fiber is.
What are Dietary Fibers?
When we talk about ballast substances, we are generally referring to fiber and bulking substances in plant foods that are largely indigestible for our bodies. In general, there is a distinction between insoluble and soluble fibers, which have one thing in common: the enzymes they contain prevent them from being broken down in our gastrointestinal tract. As a result, the fibers are not broken down there and are excreted undigested.
Why is this Good!
Understandably, you might ask yourself why these indigestible ingredients are good for your body at all… By the way, this is exactly the reason why ballast materials were considered useless in professional circles for a long time… 🙂 Today, this question can be answered relatively easily, but quite complexly. To get to the point: Dietary fiber can not only help your digestion, but can also play an important role in health prevention.
What Does Dietary Fiber Do?
Because of their coarse structure, dietary fibers are able to bind water well, causing the intestines to swell. As a result, stool volume is increased, intestinal contents can be transported more quickly for excretion, and more active digestion can be stimulated. Soluble fiber, such as that found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries or bran, also attracts water. Unlike insoluble fiber, soluble fiber is broken down by bacteria in the colon, providing valuable food for the microbiome.
In addition to these effects, both types of fiber have one thing in common: they cause blood sugar levels to rise more slowly after meals, which means less insulin is released. In addition, the valuable plant fibers can also bind bile acids, which are involved in fat digestion in the intestines. How effective a high-fiber diet can be in preventing colon cancer was also shown in a large review study conducted by the University of Harvard. Among more than 700,000 study participants, the more fiber they ate daily, the fewer people died.
What Types of Fiber are There?
- Insoluble dietary fiber (which swells in the intestine and is then excreted):
cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin - Soluble fiber (which is broken down by intestinal bacteria)
Oligofructose, inulin, glucomannan, beta glucans, acacia fiber, etc.
“The Basis of our Being Is Nutrition.”
Johann Lafer, Austrian Star and Television Chef
Did you know…?
Nowadays, we consume an average of 15 grams of dietary fiber in our daily diet.
A more than alarming value! It should be at least 30 grams and for people in certain life situations such as diabetics even at least 50 grams!
Fiber-Rich Life
The arguments in favor of a high-fiber lifestyle are not only numerous, they are conclusive. Especially when you consider that about 80% of our immune system depends on an intact and well-functioning gut flora and its microorganisms… and these, in turn, need to be fed with valuable and delicious prebiotic fiber. So you can support your immune system and your defenses with high quality fiber.
The question that automatically arises is, how do you make sure that you do not have a deficiency in the first place, and that you do so in a targeted and planned manner? Unfortunately, at this point we have both good news and not-so-good news. The good news: Achieving a balanced, high-fiber lifestyle is not difficult, and we have a simple solution for you. The bad news: Unfortunately, it doesn’t work with junk food, convenience foods, and “empty” foods. A very unfortunate but sad reality: Many “healthy” foods, such as fruits and vegetables, contain fewer nutrients and less fiber due to modern agriculture and food production. Important fiber, swelling and mucilage substances are missing more and more.
For this reason, it has become extremely challenging and difficult to achieve 100% fiber in the daily diet.
What To Do? Our Tip!
Our basic advice is to eat a balanced, high-fiber diet with at least 30 grams of fiber per day. Plenty of fresh organic vegetables, organic fruit, and purified, high-quality water are the cornerstones of this diet. Since this is not possible for most of us, especially considering the quality of the food we eat, you can supplement your fiber intake with our high-quality ColoSTABIL® herb and seed blend. Stir a heaped tablespoon into water, juice or add to milk, yogurt and cereal every day. Not only will you be well saturated, but you will also have a valuable source of fiber.