90% of Chinese people don’t get enough dietary fiber ~ 3 dietary principles can help you reach the target quickly!

The Chinese people do not consume enough dietary fiber, which is nearly half less than the recommended intake. According to statistics from the Taiwan Cancer Foundation, more than 90% of the Chinese people do not consume enough dietary fiber. The average male consumes only 13.7 grams of dietary fiber per day, and the average female consumes 14 grams, which is nearly half less than the 25 to 35 grams recommended by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Chen Zhidao, director of the family medicine department of Asia Eastern Hospital, pointed out that dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate that cannot be absorbed by the human body. Medically it has been proven to have the effects of stabilizing blood sugar, lowering cholesterol, and preventing colorectal cancer and obesity. The survey found that more than 90% of the people in the country do not consume enough dietary fiber, especially those office workers who always eat out for three meals a day.

Dietary fiber for weight loss and constipation prevention

Basically, dietary fiber is widely found in plant foods such as grains, nuts and beans, vegetables and fruits, while animal foods do not contain dietary fiber. It is very important to the human body and has recently been called the sixth nutrient besides carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. It is the best natural remedy for preventing or improving constipation.

In addition, dietary fiber helps maintain a healthy intestinal environment, promotes the growth of good bacteria in the intestines, and enhances immunity. One of the great advantages of dietary fiber is that it can prolong the emptying time of the stomach, increase the feeling of fullness, and help with weight loss. In particular, consuming foods rich in dietary fiber 30 minutes before meals can improve the weight loss effect.

Three principles of regular and quantitative supplementation

Dr. Chen Zhidao emphasized that it is difficult for people who do not eat the three meals in fixed quantities or at regular times and who are picky eaters to get enough dietary fiber. Therefore, it is best to eat the three meals at regular times and in fixed quantities, and pair them with foods high in dietary fiber. In daily diet, you can follow these three principles to achieve the daily dietary fiber intake standard of 25 to 35 grams.

Principle 1. Eat whole grains as the staple food for the three meals: you can get 8 to 12 grams of dietary fiber.

Recommendation: Change at least one of the three meals to whole grains. 100 grams of brown rice, barley or oats can be cooked into about one and a half bowls, which can provide about 8 to 12 grams of dietary fiber.

Principle 2. Eat at least half a bowl of vegetables at each meal: you can consume 8 to 12 grams of dietary fiber.

Recommendation: Half a bowl of vegetables is 1 serving. Eating at least 3 servings a day can provide 8 to 12 grams of dietary fiber.

Principle 3. Eat 2 to 3 servings of fruit every day: you can consume 6 to 12 grams of dietary fiber.

Recommendation: One serving of fruit is about the size of a tennis ball or 80% of a bowl of chopped fruit.

Don't forget to drink plenty of water when eating high-fiber foods

Doctors also remind that in addition to vegetables, when choosing fruits, you should choose those with lower sweetness and higher fiber, such as apples, tomatoes, guava, kiwi, etc. In addition, when supplementing high-fiber foods, especially high-fiber nutritious foods, you must drink plenty of water, because dietary fiber can absorb 50 to 200 times more water. Lack of water can easily lead to gastrointestinal discomfort, and sufficient water can make dietary fiber play the best role.