Consumption of Insoluble Dietary Fibers May Reduce Risk of Various Chronic and Lifestyle Diseases

 

Insoluble dietary fibers are not only healthy for you, they also helps you avoid heart disease, certain cancers of the colon, gallbladder, pancreas, liver, and stomach. Insoluble fiber is found in whole-wheat flour, fruits, and vegetables. In infants, insoluble fiber from cereals, fruits, and vegetables is very beneficial for their healthy development and preventing the occurrence of childhood diarrhea. In fact, studies show that people who have a regular diet of whole-wheat flour have lower incidence of gallstones and pre-adolescent girls have lesser chances of developing cancers of the colon and stomach.

Insoluble dietary fibers have many beneficial effects in your body. Biological mechanisms involving these substances have been found to bind certain carcinogens and bile salts. Fecal lignins have also been found to be cytotoxins or mitogens in or around colonic epithelium in animal and in vitro experiments. Fruits and vegetables are rich in these compounds. Antioxidants are substances that neutralize free radicals that damage our body cells and cause diseases. It is believed that some types of insoluble fiber are more effective in enhancing the immune function of our bodies than others. One of the soluble fiber that has beneficial effects in the upper gastrointestinal tract is cellulose. It is polysaccharides composed of multiple glucose molecules that play an important role in maintaining and keeping our gut lining healthy. Whole wheat bran, one of the best sources of insoluble fiber, seems to improve our intestinal health.

Whole wheat has a rich antioxidant content, but the bran is much better. Wheat bran is a type of grain that is cracked open to reveal the bran oil that is the source of its nutritional value. It is available in two forms: whole wheat and bran cereals. Whole wheat is nutritious and healthy but bran is rich in B vitamins and iron. For those who are unable to take up wheat as a diet, bran can be added to a healthy diet along with other food items such as cereals and fresh fruits in order to obtain insoluble dietary fibers.

Insoluble dietary fiber binds to cholesterol in the human digestive tract. Insoluble fiber is needed by the body in excess. The body can only absorb limited amounts of soluble dietary fiber because of its high density. The rest of the ingested dietary fiber gets eliminated as waste in the form of urine. There are many benefits of soluble and insoluble fiber. The consumption of insoluble fiber can prevent type II diabetes and heart disease. According to the American Heart Association's Heart and Stroke Statistics 2019 Update, around 48% of all adults in the U.S. suffered from some type of CVD in 2016. Such high prevalence of CVD boosts consumption of insoluble fibers that help lower blood pressure and may reduce the risk of such diseases.