How much fiber is needed per day for the human body

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

People who want to lose weight should definitely include fiber-containing foods in their diet. Fiber is a dietary fiber found in the skins of fruits, vegetables, and grains. This substance is not able to be absorbed by the human body, but it brings him great benefits, helping to control appetite and get rid of excess weight faster. However, not everyone knows how much fiber a person needs to consume per day. This is what we will talk about in our article.

Varieties of fiber

Fiber can be plant-based or functional. Functional fiber is most often found on the shelves of grocery stores, as well as pharmacies as supplements. As for vegetable fiber, it is hidden from our eyes, but if you adhere to the principles of proper nutrition, then here it isplay a special role.

Fiber, or vegetable fibers, is very useful for the normal functioning of our intestines. Vegetable fibers can be insoluble and soluble. Soluble ones pass into a liquid, after which they swell and acquire a jelly-like form. Such an environment has a beneficial effect on the development of beneficial bacteria. As for soluble fiber, it has the ability to suppress hunger, it is found in large quantities in barley, fruits, seaweed, legumes.

Insoluble fiber is also good for the functioning of the digestive system. These fibers flush out bile acids and cholesterol from the body. This substance is found in large quantities in cereals, fruits and vegetables.

If you do not eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables, you may experience various kinds of problems with the digestive tract. That is why fiber is recommended not only for the treatment of foodborne diseases, but also for prevention. In addition, it can prevent the development of cancers of the small and large intestine, as well as the appearance of gallstones. However, in everything you need to know the norm, so below you can find out how much fiber you need to consume per day. However, to begin with, it is worth considering the features of losing weight with the use of plant fibers.

Slimming and fiber

Dietitians have proven that eatingfiber has a beneficial effect not only on overall he alth, but also on weight loss. The secret lies in the fact that these plant fibers reduce body fat. In addition, fiber is recommended for those patients who have diabetes, as it can reduce the amount of glucose in the blood. You can use vegetable fibers both with fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, and in the form of dietary supplements.

Scientists have also proven that these dietary fibers can fight appetite and also provide a long-lasting feeling of satiety. This is due to irritation of the mechanoreceptors of the gastrointestinal tract. They should not be activated by hormones, but by stretching the tissues of the stomach. So when you eat a large amount of food, you automatically activate these receptors, which help you to go without food for a longer time. Non-starchy, fiber-rich vegetables are the best way to bulk up your meals without overdoing the calories.

Nutritionists strongly recommend eating a serving of non-starchy fruits and vegetables to fill your stomach, increasing your chances of not overeating high-calorie foods. Fiber slows down the rate of digestion, which also promotes satiety and lowers the glycemic index. That is why overweight people should eat at least 3 servings of vegetables per day.

How much fiber do you need per day?

If you want to lose weight without harming your ownhe alth, then you should start your day with muesli, buckwheat porridge, 1 green apple or freshly squeezed orange juice. Speaking about how much fiber is needed per day, it can be argued that for weight loss this figure will be 25-40 g. For every 1000 calories of diet, there should be 10-15 g of fiber. If you're eating 1500 calories, you should be getting at least 15g, but most people today don't eat more than 10g.

What foods contain how much?

To get a better idea of how much fiber you need to consume per day, look at the data on its content in some foods. For example, one slice of white bread contains 0.5 g of this substance. In rye bread, fiber is 1 g. In bran bread, these fibers contain one and a half grams. In a cup of white rice, fiber is one and a half grams, in lettuce - 2.4 g, as in fresh carrots. One orange contains about 2 grams of fiber.

We continue to consider how many grams of fiber a person needs to consume per day. It is not easy to get the daily norm exclusively with herbal ingredients, especially with fruits, cereals, starchy vegetables, you can easily go beyond the daily calorie limit. In addition, heat treatment, as well as grinding food, destroy dietary fiber in them. So, 100 g of potatoes contain about 2 grams of fiber, but after cooking, it does not remain in the peeled vegetable at all. Pay attention to this if you want to understand how muchyou need to eat fiber a day.

How to use?

Nutritionists strongly recommend that food products not be subjected to strong heat treatment, as well as to abandon the use of juices in favor of fresh fruits. In addition, fiber can be consumed in the form of supplements, adding them to cereals, dairy products and diet baked goods. In order to increase the effect of plant fibers, it is recommended to drink them with plenty of water. Fiber will absorb all the water, increasing in volume, which provokes the activation of receptors in the gastrointestinal tract, and also provides satiety.

When considering how much fiber a person needs per day, also pay attention to the fact that it should be added to the daily diet gradually. If you do not follow this recommendation, then it can cause indigestion, increased gas formation and diarrhea.

Sample menu for weight loss

To guide you, you can check out a sample list of foods that contain fiber. The menu is quite rigid, but at the same time it is satisfying:

1. One liter of non-fat fermented milk drink.
2. 8 teaspoons dry fiber.
3. Any two fruits and vegetables of your choice.

All these ingredients should be distributed throughout the day as you feel better. At night, a low-fat fermented milk drink is consumed without the addition of a dry mixture. Reviews say that, adhering to such a diet, you can lose about 5 kg.in one week.

Contraindications

So, we figured out how much fiber a day the human body needs. However, it should be noted that this substance has some contraindications. This should include diseases of the digestive tract: inflammation, colitis, enteritis.

Conclusion

Fiber is a valuable complex carbohydrate that not only controls appetite and allows you to comfortably lose weight. It has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, lowering blood cholesterol levels and maintaining blood glucose levels.