Fiber And Digestive Health
One of the most important elements missing from our diet, and one of the most necessary for digestive health is fiber. We hear it all the time, in TV ads, in magazines and news papers and on the packages of food products; Eat more fiber, added fiber, a good source of fiber.
Ironically, most of the foods we normally eat that are supposed to be good sources of fiber are so processed that they don’t contain much, if any at all by the time we eat them. These are commercially processed foods made from grains which can include rice, pasta breads, muffins, and all sorts of snack foods.
Due to our dependency on these processed foods and lack of real fresh whole foods many of us suffer from deficiencies which put us at great risks in our health. Some common dangerous deficiencies are vitamins and minerals, digestive enzymes, and dietary fibers.
It’s because of these deficiencies we suffer from so many common digestive disorders such as;
- chronic fatigue
- and many others
A lack of fiber can lead to a clogged and sluggish colon which can in turn cause a number of problems, even cancer if ignored long enough. The aging process happens faster in our bodies when it is deprived of these important nutrients, so make sure you get them!
Best types of fiber for improving digestive health
Dietary fiber is mostly found in the carbohydrate food group. This includes grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Remember, these must be unrefined, meaning they are not processed like white flour.
While fruits and vegetables can provide a lot of the needed dietary fibers, if they are not organically grown you will be ingesting too many growth hormones, pesticides and herbicides so along with the fiber you will consume dangerous toxins which can cause other health problems, particularly in the liver. Choose organic fruits and vegetables whenever you can.
Soluble and insoluble fiber
These are the main types of dietary fibers we are concerned with that can benefit our digestive health. Insoluble fiber is the roughage that acts like a broom in our intestines, sweeping up all the undigested bits and pieces that need to be collected and leave the body in the form of a stool.
Soluble fiber is the one that acts as the prebiotic. This means that when it enters the colon it begins an active fermentation process that produces molecules called short chain fatty acids. These acids are what probiotics, or good bacteria thrive on.
At the same time they are feeding our beneficial intestinal bacteria, prebiotics are also creating a non-livable environment for the bad and dangerous bacteria. This is why prebiotics are so powerful for digestive health.