The Wonders Of Fiber By Janet Martin At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Many diseases, especially the serious ones, can actually be prevented if you increase your intake of fiber, that's according to many alternative medicine practitioners. However, the average American diet, which is rich in processed foods, contain little or no fiber at all. In fact, many of us only get fiber from the piece of lettuce that is inside the big burger we have ordered. This is not really enough to clean away the junk foods that we rely on for sustenance.

What is Fiber?

Basically, dietary fibers are parts of a plant or fruit that cannot be digested by humans. These plant portions are helpful in promoting good bowel movement because they absorb water and move the food in the colon out of your system.

There are two kinds of fiber – soluble and insoluble. Although both types are indigestible, the two have different roles inside the gut. Soluble fiber acts as a barrier or protector. When ingested, this fiber form will dissolve and change to mucus or gel that will trap unwanted substances, such as bad cholesterol and other harmful things you eat. Thus, soluble fiber helps in preventing the absorption of harmful substances from the food that you consume.

Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, goes out the intestine in almost the same condition when it entered your gut. Decades ago, experts thought that insoluble fiber has no or little nutritional value because they are not absorbed by our system. As a result, they have devised ways to easily remove them from rice, bran, flour and many other food staples.

However, in the 1960s, doctors have discovered that this "roughage" (another name for indigestible fiber) is helpful in making stools stick together and become bigger, which promotes faster and easier bowel movement as it absorbs huge amounts of liquid inside the intestines.

Fiber-rich Food

All fruits contain some amount of fiber so they are really healthy for you. However, there are some that contain high percentage of soluble and insoluble fiber. These include apple, avocado, prunes, figs, and mangoes.

Most, if not all plant produce also contain fiber. Nevertheless, if you want to really get the full benefits of fiber, you better include these vegetables and legumes in your diet: artichoke, butter beans, broccoli, celery, kidney and navy beans, lentils, sweet potato and turnips.

Benefits Of Eating Fiber-Rich Food

If you are one of the many Americans who love to eat fatty foods and unhealthy snacks, then there is a big chance that you are at a high risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and even certain types of cancer. However, if you regularly eat high-fiber food, your susceptibility will lessen significantly. As mentioned earlier, soluble fiber is good in preventing damaging substances, such as fats, toxins and bad cholesterol, from being absorbed by your system. Thus, levels of bad cholesterol in your body can also go down substantially.

Furthermore, insoluble fiber will help in eliminating waste products inside your colon faster. We all know that wastes that stay too long inside the colon gets absorbed by your body and can cause various illnesses and health conditions. If you are suffering from constipation and other digestive-related diseases, you can always count on fiber to help ease your suffering.

If you want to immediately cleanse your intestines from the years and years of eating unhealthy food, you can find products that are high in fiber and are designed to really deep-cleanse your gut.

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