Fiber Research

Fiber Research

By Jason Shidler

SCI/241-Week 3, Day 5

Instructor-David West

Fiber’s main function is to regulate digestion which can come from bread, pasta, and even oatmeal that provides the necessary amounts of fiber to achieve its primary goal of the body’s digestive process. The recommended fiber intake is about 20-35 grams per day for most adults, or 10-13 grams for every 1,000 calories in the diet. There are two kinds of dietary fiber which are soluble or insoluble fiber. Both of these types, provides different benefits to the body’s diet. These two types of dietary fibers are not absorbed by the body and have different properties when mixed with water. The National Academy of Science has recommended that these two terms of fibers be eliminated and replaced by specific beneficial physiological effects of a fiber. Soluble fiber is “soluble” in water which means that it forms a gel-like substance and swells. Soluble fiber has many benefits which includes moderation of blood glucose levels and lowering cholesterol. There are scientific names for soluble fibers include pectins, mucilages, gums, and some hemicelluloses. Great sources of soluble fiber include oats and oatmeal, legumes, which are peas, beans and lentils, also fruits and barley.

Insoluble fiber does not absorb or even dissolve in water. It passes through our digestive system like its original form going in the body. The benefits of insoluble fiber would be for intestinal health such as a reduction occurrence of colorectal cancer, hemorrhoids, and constipation. Some of the scientific names for insoluble fiber would be cellulose, lignins, and also some other hemicelluloses. Majority of the insoluble fibers come from bran layers of cereal grains. Since fiber is a huge factor for metabolism for both children and adults, it is important to be able to implement this into your diet at an early age. This is from metabolic research studies that report a total cholesterol...