Benefits of Fiber
The body needs fiber to function properly. Considering that need, we have to include this essential nutrient in our daily diets. Below, we’ll explain the benefits of fiber, in order to give you an idea of just how hard this nutrient can work for your body, other than just helping the digestive system.
Which foods contain fiber?
Specialists recommend a daily intake of 0.8 ounces of fiber. You can find it in many different kinds of foods, making it quite simple to reach the recommended amount. Below, we’ll share some examples of foods that contain fiber:
- Grains: oats, wheat, rice and rye.
- Fruits: coconuts, dates and loquat fruits.
- Nuts and other: almonds, walnuts and chocolate.
- Dried fruits: dates, raisins and prunes.
- Legumes: chickpeas and green beans.
- Algae: kombu.
Improves digestion
Of all the benefits that fiber can provide, its positive impact on digestion is the most well-known. This nutrient mainly works in the gut, and that’s exactly where people most quickly notice its effects. Thanks to fiber, food circulates through the intestines more quickly and easily. Fiber is often recommended for those with constipation, due to its digestion benefits.
Increasing your daily intake of fiber is the simplest and most natural way to ease your constipation problems. Before using medication for such complications, we suggest improving your diet to find a solution. Remember, always speak to your doctor about your personal case.
Fiber keeps you feeling full
Another benefit that fiber has is its filling quality. A meal that’s rich in fiber won’t have a high number of calories yet, will keep your stomach feeling full. Thanks to that fullness, you won’t feel hungry for hours.
People who are overweight or obese and want to lose weight in a healthy way should take advantage of fiber’s filling quality. Eating fiber-rich foods will fuel the body without accumulating fat, while at the same time, helping to keep dieters feeling full.
Some of the most popular fiber-rich diet options are salads and fruits. These ingredients and dishes are also very variable, so it’s impossible to become tired of them. You can add fiber to all types of salad recipes.
Fiber absorbs cholesterol
Most people aren’t aware of this fiber benefit, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Fiber retains the excess cholesterol that’s found in the body. It drags it along the intestinal tract and then leads it to exit the body through the stool.
Fiber’s cholesterol-banishing properties are also recommended for people with high blood pressure. Fiber can eliminate cholesterol in a completely natural way.
We’re not saying you should stop taking your cholesterol medication. Instead, we’re saying that fiber is a completely natural nutrient that can also help the body to function better.
Fiber controls blood sugar levels
The last benefit that fiber offers us is controlling our blood sugar levels. As we saw in the case of cholesterol, many people don’t know that fiber can help to manage the body’s sugar levels. This will be an especially important benefit for our diabetic readers, who have already had to start taking more precautions with sugar.
Another important point about fiber-rich foods is that the body absorbs them slowly. As a result, sugar can’t enter the body all at once– which is a dangerous situation for diabetic patients, as it could cause blood sugar levels to spike. Therefore, foods that are rich in fiber are especially recommended for people suffering from diabetes.