“Eat your veggies! You’re not eating enough fruits!”

Growing up, you probably have heard these a lot.

What Is Fiber?

Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate that our body cannot fully digest. They are commonly found in fruits, vegetable, grains and legumes.

Fiber comes in two main forms which are soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.

Why Fiber Is Important?

Studies shown that diet low in fiber is associated with health conditions such as constipation, hemorrhoid, heart diseases and even cancer.

Dietary fibers offers many health benefits :

1. Prevent constipation and hemorrhoid

Dietary fiber will attract more water into intestine make the stool bulky and softer, easier for passing. Smooth bowel movement is helpful in preventing constipation and hemorrhoid. Fiber also promote growth of good bacteria that is good for overall digestive health.

2. Control blood glucose and cholesterol level

Studies shown that soluble fiber slows down the absorption of sugar into blood stream keeping the blood sugar stable. Besides, fiber help lower cholesterol level and regulate blood pressure, reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke.

3. Reduce risk of colon cancer

Fiber rich diet reduce risk of colon cancer by increase the bowel movement and stool bulk that will binds to the toxins in digestive system and excrete it through the stool immediately. Fiber helps in maintain healthy balanced gut microflora that is beneficial in reducing inflammation and reduce chance of cell’s mutation.

4. Aids in weight management

Adding fiber to your meal will help improve satiety and keeps you feeling fuller for longer time. This will prevent overeating and help you manage weight more effectively.

5. Immunity booster

Fiber increase growth of good bacteria in your gut, which are essential in boosting immune function against bad pathogen.

How Much Fiber Do You Need?

Generally, adult require at least 25g of fiber daily. Prevalence shown that majority of Malaysian does not meet the daily fiber requirement. In fact, many of us are not aware the importance of fiber and amount of fiber needed for general wellbeing.

Ministry of Health (MOH) recommend take at least 3 servings of vegetables and at least 2 serving of fruits daily for health benefits. That means you should include at least 1 serving of fruit and 1 serving of vegetable at every main meal.

Tips for Getting More Fiber

Here are more tips on how to boost your fiber game:

• Choose whole fruits and vegetables instead of juice
• Munch on raw crunchy vegetable as snack
• Choose whole grains over refined grains
• Include legumes and beans in your diet
• Snack on nuts and seed or add them to your recipe

If it is difficult to meet the fiber requirement through food, you may also opt for fiber supplement.

Summary

Fiber rich diet are beneficial for our health. Increase your intake gradually to minimize the side effect such as flatulence or bloating. Additionally, drink plenty of water to help with fiber digestion and to avoid constipation.