The "seventh nutrient" plays an important role in improving the internal environment and balancing the proportion of bacterial flora.

The dietary structure of modern people is becoming more and more "rich", but most of them are high-fat, high-sugar, and high-salt foods. Large chicken thigh burgers, cola, milk tea, fried chicken, and ice cream have become necessities in most people's menus... This unhealthy dietary structure has led to the occurrence of many complications, such as hypertension and fatty liver caused by obesity, mainly due to the lack of dietary fiber intake.

The World Health Organization lists dietary fiber as the "seventh nutrient element" that is indispensable to the human body. The other six nutrients are: protein, lipids, sugars, vitamins, water, and inorganic salts (minerals). What are its benefits? What is so good about it? How should it be consumed? Let's find out now!

Dietary fiber is also classified

According to solubility, we can divide dietary fiber into soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber.

1. Soluble dietary fiber

It is mainly composed of polysaccharides (such as pectin, algin, agar, some oligosaccharides, etc.), which are commonly found in various fruits, seaweeds and konjac foods. Soluble dietary fiber is soft in texture and is partially or completely fermented in the large intestine. It can help the body control cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and is beneficial for preventing chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

① Improve the intestinal environment

Soluble dietary fiber is easily moistened by intestinal fluid and is also the food of intestinal probiotics. It can be used by microorganisms in the intestine to promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria and help prevent intestinal diseases.

At the same time, soluble dietary fiber can also be converted into short-chain fatty acids by beneficial bacteria. And studies have found that when short-chain fatty acids are introduced, the level of stress and anxiety-like behavior in the body will decrease, and intestinal health problems can be significantly reduced.

② Regulate cholesterol content

Dietary fiber can absorb water and swell in the body, stimulate intestinal peristalsis, and promote the excretion of cholesterol and body metabolic waste in the intestine; and dietary fiber ferments in the intestine, which will also stimulate the liver to actively secrete bile acid, thereby reducing the synthesis of cholesterol in the body.
③ Maintain blood sugar level

Soluble dietary fiber has the property of absorbing water. It will absorb water and swell in the stomach, and form a high-viscosity sol or gel, which prolongs the absorption time of carbohydrates and the feeling of fullness after a meal, so it can help regulate blood sugar and help diabetic patients improve their condition.

④ Increase satiety

Dietary fiber itself cannot be digested and absorbed by the human body, while soluble dietary fiber will absorb water and swell in the stomach, so it is more full than insoluble dietary fiber and is conducive to weight loss.

2. Insoluble dietary fiber

It is mainly composed of plant cell walls, such as cellulose, lignin, etc. The best source is whole grain foods, such as oats, brown rice, etc.

Insoluble dietary fiber participates in the circulation of human body fluids and blood. It can only reduce the residence time of excrement in the intestines, increase the volume of feces, and play a role in moisturizing the intestines and laxatives.
Common sources of dietary fiber

Ranking of dietary fiber content of some common foods (g/100g):

① Beans: black beans 10.2> mung beans 6.4> red beans 7.7

② Fungi and algae: shiitake mushrooms (dried mushrooms) 31.6> black fungus (dried) 29.9> kelp (dried) 9.8

③ Fruits: pomegranate 4.8> mulberry 4.1> pear 3.1

④ Coarse grains: buckwheat (with skin) 13.3> cornmeal 5.6> sorghum flour 4.3
How to properly supplement dietary fiber?

Pay attention to a balanced diet and a reasonable intake of dietary fiber in your daily diet, following the following two major principles:

1. Eat coarse grains step by step

Many people know that they do not consume enough dietary fiber, so they suddenly start to increase their intake of fruits, vegetables and coarse grains. The body cannot adapt to such eating habits for a while, which can easily cause discomfort.

A more moderate approach is to increase the intake of dietary fiber by 3-4g per week, and it will take about 3-4 weeks to reach the daily recommended amount of dietary fiber.

2. Drink more water

Dietary fiber has a strong water absorption capacity. If you do not pay attention to consuming enough water during the intake process, intestinal obstruction is likely to occur.

Therefore, when taking dietary fiber, you should drink more water appropriately, and the daily water intake should not be less than 2 liters.