Fiber in the diet and foods that give them
Fiber is an essential component of diet and has multiple benefits starting from digestion to maintaining cardiovascular health. Thus a diet high on fiber is recommended by dieticians, nature offers fiber in abundance in green vegetable, whole pulses and various types of fruits. It is your choice to decide which form appeals to you and you incorporate in your meal plan.
Benefits of fiber
Fiber in the body is found to be of two groups, soluble and insoluble. The insoluble fiber tends to add bulk to the waste and thereby help in bowel movements. The soluble fiber on the other hand helps you stay full for longer as also help in lowering cholesterol. A holistic affects of diet rich in fiber is thus a good digestive system and healthy cardiovascular one also.
Fiber rich foods
Nature offers roughage in various forms. Some of the common palatable ones are
Corn: 100gms of corn has 79 gms of fiber amounting to 316% dietary value or DV
Cauliflower, broccoli, and lettuce: 100 gms raw have about 2 gms fiber constituting 8% DV
Squash: 5gms of fiber in 100 gms of this veggie constitutes about 10% DV
Kidney beans: 26% DV in a 100 gm serving of kidney beans is represented by 6 gms of fiber
Soybeans: 17.7 gms of fiber per 100gm serving of soybeans make it rich with 71% DV
Flax seed: a table spoon serving of flax seed is found to have about 2 gms of fiber making it a great source
Fruits: fruits like apples and pears are very high in terms of the fiber content.
Your choice
Depending on your bodies requirement the choice of food for fiber content may be used. For example if the body needs more of soluble fibers oats, lentils and beans may be used. On the contrary to up the insoluble fiber content brown rice, wheat bran and whole grain cereals could be the choice. It is to be remembered that increasing the fiber content in diet should always be accompanied with high intake of water. Otherwise it may lead to indigestion and constipation.
BY SOUMYASHREE CHATTERJEE
