Natural Dietary Fibers from Sabinsa

What are Dietary Fibers ?

Dietary fibers are the indigestible portion of plant foods that move food through the digestive system, absorbing water and easing defecation.

General Composition
Dietary fiber consists of non-starch polysaccharides such as cellulose and many other plant components such as dextrins, inulin, lignin, waxes, chitins, pectins, beta-glucans and oligosaccharides.
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Classification of Dietary Fibers

Dietary fiber are usually divided according to whether they are water-soluble or not. It is best to get a balance of soluble and insoluble fiber.

Soluble Fibers
Soluble fiber undergoes metabolic processing via fermentation, yielding end-products with broad, significant health effects. Soluble fiber dissolves in liquid, forming a thick gel that absorbs elements as it moves through the digestive tract.

Insoluble Fibers
Insoluble fiber possesses passive water-attracting properties that help to increase bulk, soften stool and shorten transit time through the intestinal tract. Insoluble fiber is a rougher fiber that helps sweep clean the intestines and inactivates intestinal toxins.

Fiber fermentability
Fiber components with partial or low fermentability are cellulose, hemicellulose, lignans, plant waxes and resistant starches. Fiber components with high fermentability are beta-glucans, pectins, natural gums, inulins and oligosaccharides
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Key Benefits of Dietary Fibers

Diets naturally high in fiber can be considered to bring about five main physiological consequences:
improvements in gastrointestinal health improvements in glucose tolerance and the insulin response reduction of hyperlipidemia, hypertension and other coronary heart disease risk factors reduction in the risk of developing some cancers increased satiety and hence some degree of weight management

Synergy
The beneficial effects of high fiber diets are the summation of the effects of the different types of fiber present in the diet and also other components of such diets.

Dietary Fibers and FDA

Recognizing the growing scientific evidence for physiological benefits of increased fiber intake, regulatory agencies such as the US FDA have given approvals to food products making health claims for fibers.
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Health Benefits of Dietary Fibers

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Digestive Support
Dietary fiber gently cleans excess mucus and other debris from the small intestine, improving absorption. Insoluble fiber exercises the bowel muscles as it helps broom out debris from the colon and provides bulk for feces formation.

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Cardiovascular benefits

Dietary fibers helps lower cholesterol and moves other fats along, help reducing their absorption, thus helps with managing both cholesterol and triglycerides.

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Weight Management Support

Due to delayed transit of dietary fibers through the gut, fibers give a sense of satiety. It also helps reduce absorption of fats, thus helpful with weight management.
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Anti-diabetic potential
Soluble dietary fiber slows the absorption of sugars from the intestinal tract. Consumption of high-soluble fibers also helps reduce a meal's glycemic index.

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