Everybody is well-aware that fiber helps in regulating bowel movement, thus keeping constipation from striking. Did you know that fiber offers so many other health benefits than just that?
According to the experts, your everyday diet should consist of 20 to 30 grams of fiber. However, the truth is most adults do not obtain even half of the recommended daily intake of fiber. This can be saddening because there are actually an abundance of fiber-rich foods in our midst. Some wonderful examples include whole grains, green leafy vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds and potatoes.
Especially if your everyday diet consists of processed food products, you may not be getting sufficient amounts of fiber. Fiber is an indigestible type of carbohydrates, and the things that processed foods go through before they end up on supermarket shelves wipe out much of their fiber content.
Your best bet is to make sure that you serve sufficient amounts of oatmeal, whole grain breads, berries, spinach, cabbage, kidney beans, peanuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds and sweet potatoes and other fiber-rich foods on the table. Want to know why? Continue reading to know some of the lesser-known health benefits of fiber that you should know about.
Fiber Helps Lower Your Chances of Getting Cancer
Colon cancer is the number one kind of cancer that a diet rich in fiber may help ward off. That’s because it helps speed up the removal of waste materials in your gut, thus keeping the development of cancer cells at bay. Including fiber in your everyday diet may also help lower your risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancer due to the fact that cancer-causing toxins are flushed out of your body ASAP.
It Keeps You As Far Away As Possible From Heart Disease
The more fiber-rich your diet is, the lower your chances of having heart disease, heart attack and stroke, say the experts. This does not really come as a huge surprise since fiber helps prevent your arteries from ending up clogged and your cholesterol levels from going off the charts. The inclusion of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, both of which are packed with fiber, may help in keeping your cardiovascular system in a great shape.
Consuming Foods with Fiber Helps Beautify Your Skin
One way to tell if your body is full of toxins is by looking at your skin. If your complexion looks lifeless, chances are you have lots of poisonous substances within you that need to be flushed out. Including fiber rich-foods in your everyday diet helps keep your skin radiantly beautiful. What’s more, majority of food sources of fiber also contain lots of antioxidants that save your skin cells from being damaged by free radicals.
Fiber Helps Control Your Blood Sugar
Soluble fiber, which is a type of fiber that attracts water and turns into gel once in your gut, is especially good in regulating the levels of sugar in your blood. That’s because it helps in slowing down the digestion of food as well as the release of sugar into the bloodstream. Having a stable blood sugar not only helps ward off diabetes, but also leaves you feeling energetic the entire day as well as keeping you from consuming more food than necessary.
It Promotes the Healthy Elimination of Unwanted Pounds
Instead of getting your hands on a bottle of diet pills that contain highly questionable ingredients, why not simply reach for some fiber-rich foods like berries, wild rice, walnuts, sunflower seeds and pinto beans? All of them are packed with fiber that helps you feel full really quickly and for a longer period of time. The consumption of foods high in fiber, together with regular exercise, can help you attain the figure of your dreams safely and effectively.
