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FOCUS Online author Petra Apfel
Friday, 02/01/2019, 10:36
The analysis of almost 250 studies has clearly shown that those who eat plenty of dietary fiber live longer, have a healthier heart and are less likely to get cancer. However, three quarters of Germans eat too little fruit, vegetables and whole grain products.
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30 grams is not much. And yet, most of us fail to get the recommended amount of fiber into our daily diet. A big mistake, as a study published in the journal The Lancet has just demonstrated. Because the indigestible fibers in fruit, vegetables, legumes, cereals and nuts are pure health protection:
Those who eat a diet rich in fiber live longer and are less likely to develop cancer, cardiovascular disease or diabetes than people who eat very little fiber.
243 Studies give good marks to dietary fiber
Because the fiber diet, which is mainly based on plant foods and whole grain products, consistently helps to achieve better values for important health indicators: body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol level. The overall risk of death is well below that of people who consume particularly low amounts of fiber.
This was discovered by scientists at New Zealand's Otago University. On behalf of the World Health Organization, they evaluated a total of 243 studies to clarify how carbohydrates affect health and what amount of fiber is optimal daily. The World Health Organization is now planning to issue a corresponding recommendation.
25 grams is the minimum, 30 grams would be better for positive effects
The authors concluded that a diet of fresh, mostly plant-based foods guarantees high fiber intake, especially when processed grains are replaced with whole grains. For a great positive effect, the dietary fiber content in the food should be at least 25 grams per day - the more beyond that, the greater the effect.
Dietary fiber was considered one of the most valuable food components long before the New Zealand meta-study. So far, however, the focus has primarily been on the positive effect on digestion and intestinal health:
The water-insoluble fibers (cellulose) pass through the intestines unharmed, "cleaning" them in the process and thus helping to prevent colon cancer. Water-soluble fiber (e.g. apple pectin) is broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. In addition to gases, fatty acids are also formed. These feed and care for the intestinal mucosa – and protect against colon cancer.
Without fiber, bacteria eat our gut lining
Two years ago, a research team from the USA and Luxembourg discovered another very important benefit of dietary fiber: it feeds the bacteria in the large intestine. If the indigestible fibers are missing, the bacteria get their food from the intestinal mucosa.
They eat polysaccharides (sugar compounds) from the protective mucus layer. As a result, the mucous membrane becomes thinner and susceptible to pathogens, which then enter the body from the intestine. Infections are the result.
Whole foods with a plant-based focus provide enough fiber
However, three quarters of the people in Germany miss the daily 30-gram recommendation for dietary fiber propagated by the German Society for Nutrition (DGE). You would have to consume more plant-based foods and whole grains and combine them cleverly.
Because apart from grain bran (45 grams of fiber per 100 grams in wheat bran) and dried legumes (23 grams per 100 grams of white beans), few foods provide significant amounts of fiber. A banana, for example, only provides 3 grams of fiber, an unpeeled apple 4 grams. Here are some other examples:
Blueberries (100g): 5 grams
Oat flakes (100g): 10 grams
Avocado (100g): 6.5 grams
Kidney beans (100g, cooked): 5.7 grams
Brussels sprouts (100g): 9 grams
Broccoli (100g): 5 grams
Peppers (100g): 3.5 grams
Wholemeal bread (100g): 8 grams
Almonds (100g): 4.5 grams.
So the healthy 30 grams of fiber is an ambitious recommendation, but worth it if you want to reap the benefits of the New Zealand study results.
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