Plant fiber

It is customary to call food or plant fiber a substance that plays an important role in the life of living organisms. In general, plant fiber is the walls of plant cells that are obtained from cereals, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and seeds.

It is worth noting that in the grains, vegetable fiber is contained in the outer layers, which are usually removed during the cleaning process. In food, this substance can be found in brown rice, whole grain products, as well as in wholemeal bread. It is noteworthy that the beneficial properties of fiber have been known for a very long time - Hippocrates also said that you need to eat bread made from coarse flour.

Fiber composition

The composition of fiber contains substances such as cellulose (the fiber itself itself) and hemicellulose (hexosanes and pentosanes) along with inlaying substances (ku-tin, lignin and suberin). The calorie content of the fiber is approximately 202 kcal.

Types of fiber

To date, it is customary to isolate two types of fiber: insoluble and soluble. The first - lignin and cellulose - is an integral part of vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes. In addition, it is abundant in bran and brown rice. In the gastrointestinal tract, insoluble plant fiber is able to swell and, like a sponge, remove bile acids, cholesterol and toxic substances from the body.

The second type of fiber - soluble - is fruit pectin, gum, resin (legumes) and hemicellulose (from oats and barley). By absorbing water, soluble plant fiber greatly increases in volume and takes on a jelly-like shape. Thus, the stomach fills up, providing a feeling of saturation. This type of fiber is found in black bread, legumes, oats, as well as most vegetables and fruits.

Fiber benefits

The benefits of fiber for humans lie in its ability to lower blood cholesterol, prevent the formation of gallstones, normalize the biliary function of the liver, stimulate bowel function and have a preventive effect on constipation.

It is impossible not to say about the benefits of fiber for patients with type II diabetes mellitus - this substance in the composition of food helps to slow down the absorption of fats and carbohydrates, reducing the risk of a sharp increase in blood sugar levels.

Fiber damage

The damage of fiber, in particular insoluble, can be manifested in the fact that the absorption of calcium and iron becomes more complicated when it is overabundated. As a rule, this happens when abusing any type of products, for example, wheat bran.

In addition, damage to fiber can be observed in increased gas formation, which, as a rule, is a result of a sharp transition to a diet rich in this substance. However, this is likely only at first.