Fiber is very essential to live a healthy life. Fiber content in the food helps to get relieve from constipation. Apart from this, it helps to safeguard heart health and prevent the occurrence of diabetes.
Daily Fiber Requirements The fiber requirements will vary from one person to another depending on age and sex. The following data are provided by National Academy of Science.
- Men (Below 50 years) – 38g
- Men (Above 50 years) – 30g
- Women (Below 50 years) – 25g
- Women (Above 50 years) – 21g
Foods rich in Fiber Inclusion of the following foods in your daily diet will help to improve the fiber content.
- Fruits and vegetables – Never forget to take them daily. Their skin is the main source of fiber. So removing the skin will result in the decrease in fiber intake.
- Whole grains – Bran removal by grain refining will reduce the fiber content of grains.
- Beans and peas.
- Seeds and nuts.
Fiber Supplements For some people it may not be possible to follow the fiber rich diet. But their body needs adequate fiber for its proper functioning. Fiber supplements will help to fulfill their fiber necessity. Taking food rich in fiber will provide vitamins and minerals in addition to the fiber. Though these are not present in the fiber supplements, they are necessary for people who are unable to take fiber food. Some of the commonly used fiber supplements are Citrucel, Konsyl and Metamucil.
Benefits offered by Fiber supplements
- Fiber supplements are helpful to reduce the cholesterol level in the blood. High cholesterol is the cause for many heart related diseases. So taking fiber supplements will help to reduce risk of heart diseases.
- Fiber supplements can be taken for digestive health. This will reduce the constipation by softening the stools. It will help to normalize the bowel movements. The very important point to note that large amount of water should be consumed while taking fiber supplements. Otherwise it will cause negative effect. That is it will worsen the constipation problem.
- Taking fiber supplements will help to reduce the amount of glucose in the blood. So it can maintain the insulin level and thereby used for the treatment of diabetes.
- Lack of fiber will cause several skin problems. Acne, skin rashes and some skin blemishes may occur as a result of insufficient fiber. Taking fiber supplements will help to overcome these problems. And also it will help you to look young. Fiber supplements will be a good solution for slowing down the aging process.
- Some chemical laxatives may cause harm to the body. But using fiber for maintaining the natural biological process will not cause any harm.
Fiber supplements are really helpful to meet the daily fiber requirements. But before taking them, the consultation with doctor should be done. Since they reduce the blood glucose level, the dosage of insulin should be varied accordingly for diabetic persons. If taken under medical advice,
fiber supplements will provide the expected benefits. To know more about this,
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References 1) Bright Hub 2) MayoClinic