What is fiber?

Dietary fiber is located within the family of carbohydrates and gain through food. A curious about other nutrients (in addition to their property or profits) is that it does not add calories.
Types of dietary fiber

There are two classes or types of dietary fiber:
* Insoluble Fiber. Among the foods rich in insoluble fiber include fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. The cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and resistant starch are insoluble dietary fiber.* Soluble Fiber. Soluble fiber forms a gel very healthy in our intestines. As a food rich in soluble fiber have spinach, beans, peas, prickly pears, nuts, grains (especially oats), legumes such as soy or soy beans (beans or beans), fruits such as papaya, the skin of the apple, mango or dried apricots, etc.. Inulin, gums, mucilages, pectins and fructooligosaccharides are soluble dietary fibers.

Functions of the insoluble dietary fiber

These are some functions of the insoluble dietary fiber:
* Avoid constipation: by increasing the fecal bolus body removes waste and easier accelerating intestinal transit.
* Detox: to ensure that these wastes are too long in the intestines prevents putrefaction of food.
* Provides a feeling of fullness: to give greater consistency to foods such we are more filling.
* Avoid obesity or overweight: Obviously if full before we eat less, if we go to the bathroom just better swollen and we will hold less liquid and gas.
* Allied against hemorrhoids: avoiding constipation got some veins (hemorrhoids) less swollen and softer stools help.
* Prevention of colon cancer: Although many factors influence all scientists assume that prevent constipation it helps to prevent this type of cancer.

Functions of soluble dietary fiber

These are some functions of soluble dietary fiber:
* Prevention of cardiovascular disease by decreasing the absorption of fats and sugars provide adequate levels of cholesterol and glucose. Thus the soluble fiber is a good ally to avoid cholesterol, triglycerides and diabetes. We also can help, indirectly, to avoid hypoglycemia, hypertension and insulin resistance with consequent improvement in our energy level and mood.
* Effect satiety. It helps in slimming diets because they absorb much water and cause a sensation of fullness. To be most effective soluble dietary fiber be consumed with plenty of water or liquid.

How much can we take it?

It is generally advised to consume between 30 and 40 g. dietary fiber daily. Ideally, half the dietary fiber intake was soluble and half insoluble.
It is very important to both types of dietary fiber. It is important for everyone but especially for people with cholesterol, consuming too much meat, obesity or a tendency to constipation.
When we make a major contribution of dietary fiber not forget we also take the form of a raw food (fruits and salads) to not lose some of their properties with the cooking.

Is something wrong if we take too much fiber?

Some people find that they cause gas and/or bloating.
Some experts say it could hamper the absorption of some minerals like zinc, iron and calcium.

credit to: Josep Vicent Arnau