Eat Fiber Rich Diet To Protect Heart
Diet experts recommend that you eat at least 30g of fiber a day. On an average, an Indian gets only 15-20 gm of fiber a day.
What is fiber? Fiber refers to carbohydrates that cannot be digested. Fiber is present in all plants that are eaten for food, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. However, not all fiber is the same, and there are a number of ways to categorize it. One is by its source or origin. For example, fiber from grains is referred to as cereal fiber. Another way of categorizing fiber is by how easily it dissolves in water. Soluble fiber partially dissolves in water. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. These differences are important when it comes to fiber's effect on your risk of developing certain diseases.
Eating a high fiber diet prevents Heart disease. High intake of dietary fiber has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease in a number of large studies that followed people for many years. In a Harvard study of over 40,000 male health professionals, researchers found that a high total dietary fiber intake was linked to a 40 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease, compared to a low fiber intake. Cereal fiber, which is found in grains, seemed particularly beneficial.
Fiber intake has also been linked with the metabolic syndrome, a constellation of factors that increases the chances of developing heart disease and diabetes. These factors include high blood pressure, high insulin levels, excess weight (especially around the abdomen), high levels of triglycerides, the body's main fat-carrying particle, and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. Several studies suggest that higher intake of cereal fiber and whole grains may somehow ward off this increasingly common syndrome.
The best sources are whole grain foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts.
How to increase fiber in diet? These are a few basic recommendations by nutrition experts to increase fiber in diet:
- Eat whole fruits instead of drinking fruit juices.
- Replace white rice, bread, suji and pasta with brown rice and whole grain products like brown rice, multigrain bread and whole wheat flour products.
- Choose whole grain cereals for breakfast like oats, dalia, wheat bran based cereals.
- Binge on raw vegetables instead of chips, crackers, or chocolate bar when hunger strikes.
- Substitute whole grain legumes for washed pulses.
- Eat fresh cut raw veggies like cucumbers, raddish, onions and tomatoes with each meal.
Indian diets are considered healthiest when compared to American and European diet. Indian dahls, porridges, poha are relished delicacies being adopted by other cultures.
By making a few key changes to your diet, though, you can easily increase the amount of fiber you eat and help keep your body free of toxins.
Avoid white flour. When whole grains are refined as they are to create white flour and white rice the fiber is removed as well as all the benefits that come with it. Look for wholegrain bread, pasta, and brown rice, which retain the original fiber.
Consider a fiber supplement. If you can’t get enough fiber from your regular diet, supplementation is possible. Look for all natural fiber supplements that don’t contain unwanted chemicals like triphala, isabgol/psyllium husk.
Tina Khanna
Healthji Expert
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