What is fiber?
Fiber is also known as roughage. It is the indigestible part of plant foods that pushes through our digestive system, absorbing water along the way and easing bowel movements.
When eating a wholefood diet it is recommended to consume 25-30 g of fiber daily.
The 2 Main Types of Fiber
There are 2 main types of fiber in fruits and vegetables. These are insoluble and soluble.
- Insoluble fiber adds bulk to the stool, helps to keep the bowels regular, fills you up and speeds up the passage of food through the digestive tract. Insoluble fiber include cellulose, hemicellulose and lignins. This is mostly removed from the juice although it is still present in smaller amounts.
- Soluble fiber absorbs water like a sponge and provides bulking matter that acts as a prebiotic to support good bacterial growth and digestive health. It also regulates blood sugar control, may lower blood cholesterol and slows the transit of food through the digestive tract and helps fill you up. Soluble fibers include pectins, gums and mucilage. This is still present in the juice.
One simple way to increase fiber intake is to power up on bran. Bran from many grains is very rich in dietary fiber. Oat bran is high in soluble fiber, which has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels. Wheat, corn, and rice bran are high in insoluble fiber, which helps prevent constipation.
A good diet involves watching your calorie count, including food rich in nutrients and vitamins, avoiding saturated fats, as well as paying particular attention to all sources of fiber