Fiber Reseach

Before understanding how fiber can benefits ones health if incorporated into their daily food intake, it is important to understand what defines fiber and where it can be found. According to Linda Van Horn, PhD, fiber originates “from the cell walls of plants plus other indigestible components of plants” (Van Horn, L., 1997, para. 2). Overall it is important to understand by integrating fiber into ones diet will produce beneficial results in one’s health. For instance, a well balanced fiber diet can help reduce the risk of acquiring chronic diseases, becoming obese, and having high cholesterol. In order to modify ones fiber intake it is crucial to know what foods contain what type of fiber (Van Horn, L., 1997).
Foods that are commonly high in fiber are separated into soluble and insoluble fiber. When attempting to increase ones soluble fiber foods such as oats, legumes, and beans should be incorporated into the daily food intake. As for increasing ones insoluble fiber; barley, rice, and wheat should be ingested. It is equally important to consume foods that contain both insoluble and soluble fiber such as a number of fruits, peas, and beans. (Van Horn, L., 1997). “Choosing foods from all these groups ensures adequate intake of both types of fiber in a ratio of about 1 part soluble to 3 parts insoluble fiber” (Van Horn, L., 1997, para. 6).
Although the underlining effects of insoluble and soluble fibers are beneficial to ones overall health, the two types of fiber have dramatic differences. For one, the function of insoluble fiber is that it moves the food through the intestines which prevents constipation from occurring regularly. In addition, insoluble fiber stabilizes the pH that is present in the intestines to avoid chances of producing cancerous microbes. (Tsang, R., 2005). Unlike insoluble fiber, soluble fiber “binds with fatty acids” and “prolongs stomach emptying so that sugar is released and absorbed more slowly” (Tsang, R., 2005, para. 4). This is...