Among the vegetables: are artichokes, chicory, and broccoli. Fruit: first of all, apples and kiwis. Legumes: lentils and beans. You need at least between 30 and 35 grams of fiber per day.
Foods Rich In Fibers
There are fibers among the elements in foods that allow us to maintain good health by helping the liver. Able to satiate and therefore allow weight control in the case of a low-calorie diet, the fibers also promote digestive processes and the correct functioning of the intestine, preventing constipation. According to a study published in The Lancet, it would be enough to increase the intake of fiber and whole grains to cut mortality from non-communicable diseases by up to 30 percent.
Present mainly in whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and legumes ( also rich in proteins ), fibers could also reduce the risk of getting sick with certain intestinal diseases, from diverticulosis to some cancers. But not only.
What Are Fibers
Dietary fibers, which are also rich in oil seeds, are given by residues of edible plant cells resistant to digestive enzymes. Based on their solubility in water, they are divided into two large groups:
- Soluble Fibers. They are pectins, gums, and mucilages. They are found mainly in fruit and legumes and have the characteristic of forming gelatinous substances, regulating intestinal transit, slowing gastric emptying, and reducing the concentration of cholesterol in the blood;
- Insoluble Fibers. They are cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. They have the property of slowing down gastric emptying. Therefore they maintain a sense of satiety for longer. They also slow down the absorption time of sugars and stimulate intestinal motility.
Benefits Of Fibers
The benefits of fiber for our body are indeed manifold. Depending on their Physico-chemical characteristics, the fibers affect the functionality of the entire digestive system, starting from the mouth to the rectum, carrying out physiological and metabolic actions. In the mouth, foods rich in fiber require a longer chewing time. The food reaches the stomach better mixed, inducing a more significant stimulus to gastric secretion. In the stomach, high-fiber foods delay gastric emptying while reducing acid secretion. A prolonged sense of satiety follows. The fibers also stimulate the natural motility of the intestine, normalizing the intestinal transit time and treating chronic constipation.
Food Fibers And Prevention
Fiber intake is essential for the prevention and rebalancing of many diseases. Between these:
- Cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis and stroke. Fibers represent a fundamental element in the correct metabolism of fats.
- Diabetes. _ Thanks to the ability to slow down the absorption of sugars, the fibers avoid excessive fluctuations in blood sugar.
- Cancer. _ The fibers can reduce the contact time between the bacterial flora and the bile salts, which could turn into carcinogens in case of constipation. They, therefore, carry out a necessary preventive action against colon cancer. Lignin also has antioxidant properties.
- Hemorrhoids and diverticula. By promoting emptying of the colon, the fibers reduce internal pressure, thus helping to prevent the appearance of diverticula and hemorrhoids.
Foods Rich In Fibers
Therefore, knowing which foods contain a good amount of fiber is essential for our well-being.
Here’s what they are:
- Vegetables
Among the vegetables and vegetables most rich in fiber, we find artichokes, Brussels sprouts, chicory, aubergines, radicchio, broccoli, and carrots.
In particular, artichokes have a relatively high fiber content: 100 grams of product guarantee 10 to 17 grams of fiber. Added is a good range of mineral salts, particularly potassium, B vitamins, and vitamin C.
- Fruit
As for the fruits, figs are the ones that contain the most significant amount of fiber: be careful, however, if you are following a low-calorie diet as it is a fruit rich in sugar and quite caloric. An excellent source of fiber is apples, rich in many other substances necessary for the body, and kiwis. In addition to containing a good dose of fiber, these tasty tropical fruits have high amounts of vitamin C. They are consequently helpful for strengthening the immune system, counteracting the production of free radicals, and reducing inflammation.
In the list of fruits rich in fiber, grapes, raspberries, and pears follow. Also significant is the amount of fiber in dried fruit, especially hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds, fundamental sources of vegetable proteins in those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet.
- Legumes
Tasty and very versatile in the kitchen, lentils contain not only minerals and vitamins but also a high amount of fiber—the same for beans, chickpeas, and peas.
- Whole Cereals And Derivatives
Finally, among the various foods containing fiber, it is good to never miss bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, and biscuits on your table but strictly in their integral form. Replacing refined carbohydrates with whole meal ones is, in fact, a natural choice for well-being, representing good support in the prevention of most of today’s diseases as well as an equally effective help in the treatment of the conditions themselves.
How To Take Fibers
It is recommended to take between 30 and 35 grams of fiber per day, between soluble and insoluble. Of these, 45% should come from vegetables, 35% from whole grains and legumes, and 20% from fruit. The intake of a higher quantity could be harmful, causing gastrointestinal disorders, with manifestations such as flatulence and meteorism, as well as malabsorption of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.
To take full advantage of the fiber content, fruit should be preferred whole rather than in the form of juice or squeezed juice. It should also not be forgotten that chewing increases the sense of satiety, avoiding falling into easy food excesses.
How To Choose The Richest Fiber Foods
In these tables, we report the amount of fiber contained in grams, every 100 grams of the edible part, in foods richest in this element.
Soluble fiber content
- Pearl barley: 4.41
- Rye flour: 3.58
- Breakfast cereals: 2.89
- Raw beans: 2.34
- Whole wheat flour: 1.92
- Bread of type 00: 1.46
- Quinces: 1.41
- Uncooked whole meal semolina pasta: 1.38
- Dry biscuits: 1.32
- Fresh pears, without peel: 1.29
Insoluble fiber content
- Wheat bran: 41.13
- Whole meal biscuits with fiber: 26.67
- Raw dried broad beans: 20
- Raw beans: 15.14
- Raw dry lentils: 12.91
- Dried chestnuts: 12.66
- Sweet almonds, dried: 12.04
- Rye flour: 10.69
- Roasted peanuts: 9.89
- Dehydrated apples: 9.66
Also Read: What Are Vegetables Rich In Vitamin B12?
