Thursday, February 24, 2011

Power of Fibers



Fiber is normally closely linked in assurance of proper functions of digestive tract. When we go deeper as far as dietary fiber is concerned, they can even go as far as in heart diseases, certain cancers, and also diabetes prevention, many thanks to rich antioxidants they contain. Now, a new study even suggests that consuming the sufficient amount of dietary fiber can even save you from death!

US researchers from National Cancer Institute examined food survey completed by participants who joined the study in 1995 and 1996. The mentioned participants were consisted of 219,123 men and 168,999 women ages 50 to 71 years of age. After nine years, there were about 11,000 people died and so, these researchers further investigate the reasons behind the deaths according to their food patterns throughout those nine years.

Softening stool is the most common effect of fiber known by the public. But specifically, how does that happens? Dietary fiber basically can be categorized into soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. As such, soluble fiber has the ability to absorb water (as how its name indicates), and thus become gelatinous and further fermented by bacteria in the digestive tract. Whereas insoluble fiber is the one which increases bulk and soften stool, in turn shorten transit time in the intestinal tract.

From the results of the study, it is found that people who ate at least 26 grams of fiber per day were 22% less likely to die compare to those who ate less amount of the same thing, which was ranged 13 grams or less. What is more, researchers found out that getting fibers from grains can have biggest impact on that.

1 comment:

  1. This is good info. Dietary fiber consists of nondigestible carbohydrates and lignin that are intrinsic and intact in plants. Fiber also refers to bulk or roughage. Thanks for share this detail.

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