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What if there is something in your cupboard that could extend your life ? What if there is a super-food that would make you live longer? And what if it’s cheap and widely available in the supermarket ?
Naturally it reduces the chances of debilitating heart attacks and strokes as well as life-long diseases such as type-2 diabetes. And it also helps keep your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels down. What could it be ? ? ?
It’s FIBER ! A major study has been investigating how much a humble fiber one really needs be eat. And the study found that there are huge health benefits.
The evidence is now overwhelming and fiber is a game-changer that people have to start doing something about. It’s well known for stopping constipation – but its health benefits are much broader than that.
How much fiber is needed? : Well … a minimum of 25g of fibre per day is an “adequate” amount. The real benefits come from pushing it past 30g.
The problem? : Most people are eating less than 20g of fiber a day. The amount of fiber in any food is relatively less. Fiber is present in fruit, vegetables, wholegrain bread, pasta, pulses such as beans, lentils and chickpeas, as well as nuts and seeds. But a banana that weighs about 120g has only about 3g of fiber.
Increasing fiber in diet is not as easy as it sounds. The tips and tricks range from cooking potatoes with the skin on to adding some chickpeas, beans or lentils in a curry to increasing portions of fruit or vegetables.
Fiber makes one feel full and has an effect on the way fat is absorbed in the small intestine. But more importantly in the large intestines, the fiber feeds the gut bacteria, which have many healthy effects for the whole body.
Original BBC article: Click here
HO Notes:
Fiber is an essential constituent of any good diet and results in ample health benefits as well a positive lifespan effects. However given our modern lifestyle and food habits, there is a need to make deliberate efforts to maintain the recommended level of fiber in the diet. Our health is closely linked to the health of our gut and health of our gut is closely linked to the sufficient amount of fiber in the food.
HealthOpinia 