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The effects of dietary fibers

Why are dietary fibers important?

It is often said nowadays that dietary fibers play a significant role in our diet. Why is it worth to pay special attention to them?

Contrary to common belief, dietary fibers are not ingredients but components of food - they are components of the cells of plants-, still they are important for maintaining our health. 25-40 grams of daily dietary fiber intake for adults can minimize the risk of certain bowel diseases and the development of gallstones. The recognition of the significance of dietary fibers is linked to the work of two English doctors, Burkitt and Towell. They were the first to realize that nutritional factors (particularly fat and dietary fiber intake) are connected with bowel diseases. In countries were fat intake is lower and the intake of dietary fiber is higher, the proportion of such diseases is remarkably lower.

Behind fashion

Although the recognition of dietary fibers' role is not a recent development, one hears a lot about them even today. No wonder for research results keep surfacing even today, pointing out the connection between dietary fibers and right eating habits.

One of the most outstanding characteristics of dietary fibers is that after their consumption, the bacteria of the colon turn some of the fibers into so-called short-carbon-chain fatty acid molecules, and the fibers further the bowel peristalsis, thus preventing constipation. What is more, dietary fibers stimulate the workings of enzymes that metabolize harmful materials in the small intestines. They slow down the absorption of nutrients while optimizing blood fat level.

With a conscious eating plan

With a conscious eating plan, the 25-40 grams of dietary fiber intake deemed optimal for adults can easily be realized. The fact that this hardly reaches 20 grams in our country is due to insufficient fruit consumption and the preference of white flour products with low dietary fiber content. However, consuming a minimum of 25 grams of dietary fibers a day is crucial to avoid the so-called civilization illnesses, and a diet put together consciously can help.