Not all carbohydrates can be digested and converted into glucose. Indigestible carbohydrates are called fiber. It is an indispensable part of a healthy diet, with high content in fruits, vegetables, lentils, broad beans and coarse grains. Eating high fiber foods can reduce the likelihood of bowel cancer, diabetes and diverticulum disease. And constipation is not easy to occur.
Usually people think that fiber is "coarse forage", but this is not the case. Fiber can absorb water. Therefore, it can expand and loosen the food residue, and make it easier to pass through the digestive tract. The risk of infection is reduced because the food residue stays in the body for a shorter time; Moreover, when some foods, especially meat, deteriorate, carcinogens will be produced and cell mutation will be caused. The reduction of the retention time of food residues in the body can also reduce the possibility of this situation. The fiber content in the diet of frequent meat eaters is very low, which will increase the time that food stays in the intestine to 24-72 hours. During this time, some food may deteriorate. So if you like meat, you must make sure that your diet also contains a lot of fiber.
There are many kinds of fiber, some of which are proteins rather than carbohydrates. Some kinds of fiber, such as those contained in oats, are called "soluble fiber". They combine with sugar molecules to slow down the absorption rate of carbohydrates. In this way, they can help maintain the stability of blood glucose concentration. Some fibers have much stronger water absorption than other kinds of fibers. Wheat fiber can expand to 10 times the original volume in water, while the glucomannan fiber in Japanese konjac can expand to 100 times the original volume in water. Because fiber can expand food and slow down the release of energy in carbohydrates, super absorbent fiber can help control appetite and help maintain proper weight.
The ideal intake of fiber is not less than 35 grams per day. If the food is properly selected, it is easy to reach this standard without additional supplements. It is better to obtain fiber from a large number of different food sources, including oats, lentils, broad beans, plant seeds, fruits and raw or slightly cooked vegetables. Most of the fiber in vegetables is destroyed during cooking, so vegetables are best eaten raw.
