Insufficient dietary fiber sends out an alarm to the intestines! 5 tips for smart supplementation

As the saying goes, "If you have a healthy gut, you won't age." However, the survey found that more than 90% of Chinese people have a serious lack of dietary fiber intake. Nutritionists pointed out that in order to have a healthy intestine, moderate supplementation of dietary fiber is essential. In addition to natural food, moderate supplementation of health products is also an option. It is recommended to master 5 key points to eat healthily.

Li Wanping, a nutritionist at Rongxin Clinic, pointed out that the recommended daily intake of dietary fiber for Chinese people is 25g to 30g. However, according to the results of national nutrition surveys in recent years, the average intake of Chinese people is about 11g to 14g, and some even consume less than 10g, which is far less than half of the recommended amount. This is especially serious among young people aged 19 to 30.

Insufficient dietary fiber may increase risk of colorectal cancer

Especially for office workers, due to their busy work, they almost eat out for three meals, do not get enough exercise, and do not choose the food sources for the three meals correctly. In addition to unbalanced and insufficient nutrient intake, the chances of constipation and obesity are also very high, and even the risk of colorectal cancer is increased.

In fact, to maintain intestinal health, it is important to take in enough dietary fiber. When it comes to supplementing health foods, it is recommended to master the following five key points, including:

1. Choose products without additives.

2. Choose products that have passed the test.

3. Choose a reputable manufacturer.

4. Choose products that indicate the source of their ingredients.

5. Choose products with clear formulas.

Please note that you should refer to the daily dosage indicated on the bottle, rather than supplementing as much as possible.

Nutritionist Li Wanping emphasized that dietary fiber refers to food nutrients in plants that are difficult to digest. They are non-starch polysaccharides of plants, including cellulose, lignin, chitin (or chitin), pectin, β-glucan, inulin and oligosaccharides. It is mainly divided into two categories based on whether it can be dissolved in water: water-soluble dietary fiber and water-insoluble dietary fiber.

Dietary fiber reduces the risk of colorectal cancer

1. Water-soluble fiber: including pectin, gum, mucilage, plant gum, alginate, oligosaccharides, etc., which are usually sticky and mainly found in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, konjac and other foods.

Efficacy: It helps beneficial bacteria survive in the intestines, enhances immunity, and regulates blood sugar. When it reacts with cholesterol, it has the effect of coating bile acid, which can lower blood fat and help prevent cardiovascular disease.

2. Insoluble fiber: includes lignin, plant epidermis, hemicellulose, and chitin, which are mainly found in plant epidermis and unprocessed gluten, whole wheat, grains, beans, roots, fruits, and other foods.

Efficacy: It can promote intestinal peristalsis, reduce the time that feces stays in the intestine and the contact area between feces and intestine, reduce the occurrence of constipation, shorten the time that feces stays in the intestine, and help reduce the occurrence of colorectal cancer.

Beans are rich in dietary fiber

Nutritionist Li Wanping pointed out that many people mistakenly believe that the richer the fiber and the rougher it tastes, the higher the fiber content. In fact, the older the fruits and vegetables are, the more dietary fiber they contain. Some fruits and vegetables that feel sticky may even have water-soluble fiber content that is not inferior to that of high-fiber fruits and vegetables such as celery and bamboo shoots.

Generally speaking, legumes are often overlooked high-fiber foods. Beans such as soybeans, mung beans, red beans, pinto beans, and peas are actually rich in dietary fiber. In addition, vegetables such as fungus, sweet potato leaves, and kelp, and staple foods such as corn, sweet potato, and oats are also rich in dietary fiber.

High-fiber fruits: Eat more apples and bananas

As for which fruits have the highest fiber content? In fact, as long as you eat the fruit with the skin, seeds, and pulp, you can get rich fiber. For example, eat the pulp together with oranges, eat passion fruit and guava together with the seeds, and eat pears and apples together with the skin. This is a way to get a high-fiber diet (>3 grams/serving).

In addition, bananas are also a fruit rich in fiber (half a banana is equivalent to half a bowl of vegetables). For the elderly and children who have poor chewing skills and are not convenient to eat skins and residues, or for people who eat out for a long time and are not convenient to eat fruits, bananas are the most suitable and convenient fruit to supplement fiber.

"Fiber" diet! First choose whole grain roots

It is worth noting that the number of people eating out is increasing, the diet is too refined, and the intake of fiber from fruits and vegetables is limited. Therefore, for those who do not get enough dietary fiber, nutritionists recommend that the staple food should be replaced with "whole grains and root vegetables". For example, the commonly eaten cereals such as brown rice, wheat, oats, corn, and legumes such as red beans and mung beans are all whole grain foods.

Taro, potato, yam, pumpkin, lotus root, etc. are fiber-containing root foods. Not only can it keep you away from chronic diseases, but it can also improve your health.

"Intestinal" health! People can do this:

1. Replace refined white rice with brown rice, whole grain rice, oatmeal rice, or whole grain foods such as pumpkin, sweet potato, taro, etc., and you can get about 8 to 12 grams of fiber.

2. Eat at least half a bowl of vegetables at each meal, which can provide about 6 to 10 grams of fiber.

3. Eating 2 to 3 servings of fruit per day can provide about 6 to 12 grams of fiber.

4. Replace part of the meat with edamame or soybeans to get about 2 to 4 grams of fiber.

5. Eating a moderate amount of nuts, such as black sesame seeds, every day can also provide a small amount of fiber.

【Tips】：

Gradually increasing fiber intake can alleviate problems such as bloating, flatulence, and diarrhea caused by a high-fiber diet.