Among the foods we eat every day, substances that can be absorbed and utilized to provide energy for life activities are called nutrients. In the past, academic circles thought that nutrients included sugar, fat, protein, vitamins, water and inorganic salts. In recent years, a new viewpoint holds that dietary fiber should be listed as the seventh nutrient. So, what are the functions of dietary fiber? How to correctly ingest dietary fiber? What problems should we pay attention to? Let's analyze it now.

Dietary fiber is a polymer of carbohydrates, which exists in plants and can also be synthesized artificially. Specific types include cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, inulin and dietary fiber monomer components. Dietary fiber, which can not be absorbed by small intestine, belongs to polysaccharide that can not be utilized. So, to put it simply, it is to occupy the gastrointestinal space after eating and increase the feeling of fullness, but it does not provide calories. At the same time, it will interact with intestinal flora and its metabolites to provide short-chain fatty acids.

Dietary fiber also has the characteristic of 1, that is, it can expand rapidly when it meets water. This can stimulate intestinal peristalsis and promote defecation and excretion of metabolic waste. Therefore, it has a good effect on overcoming constipation, and at the same time helps to lose weight and beauty. Dietary fiber can be divided into two categories: soluble and insoluble. Soluble dietary fiber can slow down the digestion of food and help discharge excess intestinal waste; Insoluble dietary fiber can stimulate intestinal peristalsis. Therefore, if we can eat different dietary fibers in a reasonable proportion, we can achieve the effect of combining the two swords in the martial arts legend and open up a new situation for weight control and health preservation.

In recent years, there are many studies on the prevention and adjuvant treatment of diseases with dietary fiber. For example, Chinese scholars believe that the lack of short-chain fatty acids in intestinal fermented carbohydrates may be part of the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, and high-fiber diet can improve the glycosylated hemoglobin level of patients. Animal experiments show that feeding short-chain fatty acids directly to mice can lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health.

Dietary fiber, in the process of digestion, will produce short-chain fatty acids including butyrate, which has been proved to have anti-inflammatory effect. Experiments show that butyrate can inhibit the production of harmful chemicals by inflammatory microglia in experimental rats. Microglia are 65,438+0 kinds of macrophages, and they are also an important immune defense line of the central nervous system. If microglia are inflamed, it will produce harmful substances, which will damage the cognitive and operational abilities of the brain. Therefore, by supplementing dietary fiber and using the anti-inflammatory properties of butyrate, it is helpful to alleviate brain inflammation caused by aging, thus delaying the decline of brain cognitive function. From June, 20438 to October, 2020 10, American scholars' research shows that adhering to a high-fiber diet is helpful to regulate systemic inflammation and reduce the risk of respiratory diseases including asthma.

Dietary fiber has so many health benefits, is it better to eat more? The answer is no. Because eating too much dietary fiber may cause flatulence and indigestion. Therefore, our dietary guidelines for residents suggest that the daily dietary fiber intake should be 25 grams to 30 grams. You can calculate the dietary fiber content in common vegetables and fruits by yourself. Based on the dietary fiber content of100g edible part, the bamboo shoot is 2.8g; Celery leaf and lotus root 2.2g cauliflower 2.1g; Jujube10.6g; Pear 9.1g; 4.9 grams of pomegranate; Fig 3 grams.

Dietary fiber supplement, with a good source of 1, is whole grain. According to the content of100g food, the dietary fiber in bran is 31.3g; Wheat is10.8g; 9.9 grams of barley; Buckwheat 6.5 grams. Therefore, whether the daily dietary fiber is fully supplemented needs comprehensive calculation. In addition, we should also be careful not to estimate by personal feelings. Although foods with rough taste, such as celery or oats, are rich in dietary fiber, foods with delicate taste, such as mushrooms, potatoes and konjac, are also rich in dietary fiber. Therefore, only by finding and verifying the dietary fiber contained in food and carefully arranging the collocation of food can we have a healthy effect.

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