Fiber

Proteins Fats Carbohydrates

Minerals Water Vitamins

Dietary fiber, also known as
roughage or bulk, is plant
cell material that resists
digestion and absorption in
the human small intestine,
with complete or partial
fermentation
(decomposition by bacteria) Dietary “fiber” It is not really an
in the large intestine. accurate term, as many of its
components are not fibrous. Gums, waxes,
and mucilages, for example, are classified
as dietary fiber because mammalian
enzymes or secretions do not digest them.
Cellulose, however, is truly fibrous.
(Other components include hemicellulose,
lignans, resistant starches, beta-glucans,
pectins, inulins, and oligosaccharides
(ŏl'ĭ-gō-săk'ə-rīdes' .)
 SOLUBLE fiber dissolves in water (from the stomach and
intestines) and is degraded by bacteria in the intestine. It
absorbs water and mixes the food into a gel-like material. This
slows the emptying of the stomach and the movement of the
food mass through the intestines, which in turn slows the rate
of glucose digestion and absorption. Soluble fiber increases
stool volume and water content.

The seeds and husks of this

psyllium plant are used as a This type of fiber is found in fruits, oats,
laxative and fiber additive. barley, psyllium (sĭl'ē-əm) & legumes.
 Blood cholesterol levels below 200 mg/dl.
(milligrams per deciliter) have been
associated with reduced blood pressure
and a decreased risk of coronary heart
disease. The liver converts cholesterol
into bile acids, and then the body
excretes those acids. Water-soluble fiber
binds with the bile acids, increasing
excretion of the cholesterol.
LDL cholesterol, a waxy fat found in
Some types of fiber appear to
many foods and produced in the
have a greater effect than
liver, attaches itself to the walls of
others. The fiber found in rolled
arteries, causing blockage.
oats is more effective in
lowering blood cholesterol
levels than the fiber found in
wheat. Pectin found in apples,
oranges, and plums has a
similar effect in that it, too, can
Fiber binds lower the amount of cholesterol
bile acids. in the blood.
The large intestine comprises a segment called the colon within which
additional nutrient absorption occurs through the process of
fermentation. Fermentation, especially of legumes, occurs by the
action of colonic bacteria on the food mass, producing gases
(flatulence) and short-chain fatty acids. It is these short-chain fatty
acids — butyric (byū-tîr'ĭk), acetic (a-SEE-tihk), propionic
(prō'pē-ŏn'ĭk), and valeric (və-lîr'ĭk)acids — that have significant health
properties.
Short-chain fatty acids stabilize
blood sugar levels after a meal
and act on pancreatic insulin
release (helps control diabetes)
(di-a-bē´-teees) and lipid levels
(suppresses cholesterol
synthesis by the liver), improve
the colonic environment (raises
the acidity level in the colon),
and regulate immune
responses.
 INSOLUBLE fiber doesn't dissolve in water and passes through
your digestive system largely unchanged. Insoluble fiber
accelerates intestinal transit, and increases fecal weight. This,
like soluble fiber, means softer, larger feces. It also results in an
increased frequency of defecation. As the fiber moves through
your intestine, it scours intestinal walls & removes waste matter.

Insoluble fiber is
found in greatest
amounts in cereals;
wheat bran; stalks,
peels, and seeds of
fruits & vegetables.
 Insoluble fiber, because it
makes stools softer and bulkier,
is helpful in the treatment and
prevention of constipation,
hemorrhoids and diverticulosis.
Diverticulum (dī'vûr-tĭk'yə-ləm) are
pouches of the intestinal wall that
can become inflamed and painful,
especially when digesting fried
foods or foods with small seeds. In
the past, a low-fiber diet was
prescribed for this condition. It is
now known that a high-fiber diet
gives better results once the
inflammation has subsided.
Rectal/anal hemorrhoids
 There is some evidence that dietary fiber may
help reduce the risk of some cancers,
especially colon cancer. This idea is based on
information that insoluble fiber increases the
rate at which wastes are removed from the
body. This means the body may have less
exposure to toxic substances produced during
digestion. Fiber also helps keep the colon
clean, and that prevents irritation of any pre-
cancer cells that may be present. High-fiber diets may
be useful for people
The colon, or large
intestine, is a who wish to lose
muscular tube that weight. Fiber itself
begins at the end
of the small
has no calories, yet
intestine and ends provides a "full"
at the rectum. The
colon absorbs
feeling because of its
water from liquid water-absorbing
stool that is ability. It provides
delivered to it from
the small intestine. ‘satiety’.
 The Bristol Stool
Scale
The Bristol Stool
Chart is a medical
aid designed to
classify the feces
forms into seven
groups. It was
developed by
Heaton and Lewis
at the University of
Bristol, England,
and was first
published in 1997.
Because the form
of the stool
depends on the
time it spends in
Types 1 and 2= constipation; 3 and 4= "ideal stools" the colon, there is
especially the latter, as they are the easiest to pass; 5-7 a correlation
tending towards diarrhea; dietary or supplemental fiber between the
can help regulate the form of fecal waste. colonic transit time
and the stool type.
 Dietary fiber is found only in
plant products, including fruits,
vegetables, nuts, and grains.
Both insoluble and soluble
sources of fiber are in the parts
of a plant that we eat: skin, pulp,
seeds, stems, leaves, and roots.
Foods considered the best
sources of fiber will have at least
5 grams of fiber per serving.
Good sources have at least 2.5
grams per serving.

Best sources of fiber are in whole-grain products (includes the bran of

the grain kernel), raw or cooked fruits and vegetables, and legumes
(dried beans and peas). Refined or processed foods (white bread,
pasta, fruit juices, and non-whole-grain cereals) are lower in fiber
content. Because of their higher water content, fruits and vegetables
provide less dietary fiber per gram of ingested material than grains
and cereals. Fiber content will be lowered if you remove the skin from
fruits and vegetables.
½ cup contains 3+ grams of fiber:

Bananas, 3 grams – 1 medium

Beans, 6-10 grams - baked beans, black beans, great northern beans,
kidney beans, garbanzos, pinto beans, white beans
Berries, 4-5 grams - blackberries, raspberries
Bran Cereals, 5-10 grams - All-Bran, Bran Buds, 100% Bran,
Raisin Bran
Bread, 4-7 grams - 2 slices whole wheat, pumpernickel, seven-grain
Broccoli, 4-5 grams
Carrots, 3-4 grams
Fruit, 4 grams - medium apple, medium pear
Greens, 4-6 grams - beet greens, collards, kale, spinach, turnip greens
Lima Beans - 4-6 grams
Peas, 7-9 grams - black-eyed peas, green peas
Potatoes, 4-5 grams - medium baked Idaho or sweet potato
Sweet Corn, 5 grams
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for Fiber:
Males 14-18 years 38 g/day 19-50 years 38 g/day
Females 14-18 years 26 g/day 19-50 years 25 g/day
The average American
consumes only 14 grams
of dietary fiber a day. The
current recommendations
are for 14 grams of fiber
per 1000 calories
consumed. So, if you
consume a 2500 calorie
diet, you should eat
approximately 35 grams of
fiber per day. Fiber intake
does vary depending on
age and gender.
 Caution: It is possible that
too much fiber may reduce
There are many types of fiber the amount of calcium, iron,
supplements available to consumers zinc, copper and magnesium
for nutritional purposes, treatment of that is absorbed from foods.
various gastrointestinal disorders,
and for such possible health benefits
as lowering cholesterol levels,
reducing risk of colon cancer, and
losing weight. They may be beneficial
for alleviating symptoms of irritable
bowel syndrome, infammatory bowel
disease, diarrhea, constipation, and
abdominal discomfort. They are
sometimes used as a bowel
regulator, laxative, or stool softener.

If you are not used to consuming high fiber diets regularly, these
changes should be made gradually to avoid problems with gas and
diarrhea. When you increase fiber in your diet you must increase
water consumption!