Bringing fibre up to date
For decades, fibers have been relegatedto oblivioneven though our grandmothers love them. Thanks to Japanese researchers, we understand better why our ancestors are so addicted to these nutrients. Fiber is essential to fight constipation, cholesterol levels and sugar. They improveintestinal transit, promote the composition of the microbiota and make it possible to modify the daily life of our meals thanks to tasty recipes.
Fibers? Not to be forgotten
These are legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, red and white beans, coconuts, broken weights, cereals such as brown rice, barley, oats, wheat and wholemeal pasta. But also vegetables and fruits: peas, green beans, cabbage (in all its forms), apples, figs, dried apricots or not as well as walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios and seeds of all kinds…
For fibers to fulfill their role properly, it is essential to choose themfrom organic farming. In addition, you should know that underconsumption of fiber is detrimental to good health. This results in an increase in cardiovascular disease, a problem of obesity with a risk of appearance of certain cancers such as colon or rectum.
Various supporting studies
In 2011 it is an American study that reveals that a regular consumption of fiber causes a decrease of about 35% in cardiovascular mortality, 45% in that of respiratory diseases and a little less than 60% in mortality from infectious diseases.
A recent discovery by Japanese researchers demonstrates that dietary fiberis essentialfor maintaining a slender and toned figure. Thus, in order to fight obesity and diabetes, scientists from the universities of Nagasaki, Nagoya and Jumonji, looked at the fibers of barley and oats. These modify the response of our microbiota following a food intake.
This study(1), published in the British Journal of Nutrition, shows that sugar that comes from the breakdown of fiber by bacteria in our intestines benefits our weight less than glucose made by intestinal cells.
Fiber absent from our meals
According to the WHO, the daily amount of fiber is around 30 grams. If the consumption of fiber is not sufficient, various disorders can occur. Thus, it is necessary to know how to decode certain warning signals.
- Chronic constipation: legumes are not easily digested in our body and contain so-called insoluble fiber. It is this waste that, unabsorbed, ends up in our stool.
- It is the bacteria of the digestive system present in the intestine that transform insoluble fiber into assimilable sugar. This process allows for an increase in basic energy expenditure, which decreases the lingering feeling of hunger after meals.
- Soluble fiber binds to cholesterol and naturally eliminates it from the body.
- In the fight against excess pounds, fiber is perfect because it combines with fats and slows down the digestion of sugars. The absorption of kilocalories by our body is thereby limited.
Finally, we must dispel preconceived ideas. No! Lentils do not necessarily pair with sausages and white beans with flatulence. No! The consumption of dried fruits is not proportionally related to the figures in the scale. The Internet is full of tasty and original recipes, such as those for example, that aim to orient our Western diet in the Asian fashion. A nod to Japanese scientists to thank them for their discovery in a way.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.