The life of the modern era is faced with a situation to be faster, everything from work, movement activities, machines are all designed to work fast, even food turns into something instant, "just 5 minutes and please enjoy your food! Easy isn't it?" Once an advertisement goes off. Then if everything is fulfilled in terms of health? But you know, that this instantaneous life causes a significant increase in health problems, heart disease and cancer are health problems that are suffered by many people living in this century. And that's a fact!
Most of the food we consume everyday contains a lot of fat and high carbohydrates, but low in fiber, low in protein, and even practically zero. So that the amount of fat that is collected uncontrollably in the body is the main cause of the emergence of various degenerative diseases (health conditions in which the organs or tissues of the body continue to decline over time, which occurs because of changes in body cells that affect the overall organ function).
Fiber, in general, is the content of plant-based foods that the body cannot digest or absorb, so that in the intestines, fiber can bind water and facilitate digestion. Fiber is also a very important nutrient for the digestive system. The need for fiber for each person is different, based on the Institute of Medicine in men it takes about 38 grams per day and women about 25 grams per day. The need for fiber begins to decline when we enter the age of 49 years and over, and will continue to decline as we get older. The fiber we consume will help flush the fats that stick to the walls of the small intestine into the large intestine and are not absorbed into the circulatory system which will go out with the exhaust system.
Fiber itself is divided into two forms, including:
🌱 Water-soluble fiber, this type of fiber can dissolve into water and form a gel-like mass. Examples of this fiber are contained in food ingredients such as oats, types of peas, apples, oranges, bananas, carrots, etc.
🌱 Water insoluble fiber, serves to help movement in the digestive system and increase the mass of feces. Examples of this fiber are found in food items such as wheat, green beans, spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. Water-insoluble fiber can help people with constipation.
The benefits of fiber for general health include:
🌿 Smooth digestion, some fibers not only function to facilitate bowel movements but also ferment in the large intestine. Hard stools as a sign that you are not consuming enough fiber. If left untreated, constipation will occur, if not treated, hemorrhoids or hemorrhoids will develop.
🌿 Helps lower cholesterol levels, soluble fiber can bind bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) LDL in the digestive system and excreted through feces.
🌿 Foods high in fiber also help lower blood pressure and prevent inflammation.
🌿 Controlling blood sugar levels in the body, by slowing down gastric emptying thus slowing down the absorption of sugar by the body.
🌿 Maintain body weight, foods rich in fiber tend to make you feel full longer. Fiber also contains lower calories, so the food that enters the body is certainly low in calories.
Lack of fiber intake in the dietary nutrition we consume will cause various diseases such as insulin resistance, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, heart problems, stroke, obesity and cancer. By combining soluble fiber and insoluble fiber in every consumption of our daily menu, we will get all the benefits of fiber. []
