5 ways a High Fiber Diet Can Help
Most people
associate fibre to be good for the digestive system. It helps to add roughage
and therefore helps in avoiding constipation. When we dig deeper, the fibre
seems to do good not just to the stomach but to the heart as well. Those who
are prone to develop heart disease should make an attempt to include more fibre
in their diet and reap the rich benefits it offers
There are two classifications of
fibres which are Dietary and Functional
Dietary are
found in diet products and functional being added fibre through various food
supplements. Soluble and insoluble fibre, based on their solubility in water.
Most foods contain some amounts of both. The insoluble one has more digestive
benefits, as it adds to the roughage. Both types have cardiac benefits.
1. Reduces cholesterol: There is good cholesterol which is essential for the body, and there is
bad cholesterol causes heart disease. What fibres do is reduce the amount of
bad and overall cholesterol in circulation. The fibre binds to the cholesterol
and removes it from the body, which otherwise would get into circulation and
lead to plaque formation and heart disease.
2. Reduces blood pressure: Because the cholesterol does not
circulate in the blood stream, the blood is not as viscous and therefore the
vessels exert much less pressure to allow for free flow. A diet change to whole
grains can show a marked difference in people with hypertension.
3. Weight management: Eating fibre means more bulk and fewer calories so that a person feels
full after eating smaller amounts. This is a great way to lose weight and bring
preexisting heart disease under control.
4. Stroke prevention: the circulating cholesterol usually gets sluggish and settles down along
the walls of the blood vessels. This attracts more cholesterol, which
eventually forms what is known as plaque. When this plaque attains a
considerable size, it gets dislodged, circulates in the blood stream, and can
reach any of the vital organs. By removing the cholesterol which leads to all
complications, fibre reduces the incidence of stroke and heart attacks.
5. Management of diabetes: Blood pressure, increased weight, and heart disease all are
predisposing factors and have common contributing factors as does diabetes. Controlling
all these helps in prolonging the onset of diabetes and reducing its severity
too.
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