Optimal Nutrition for Women
Michelle Tollefson, Nancy Eriksen, Neha Pathak in Improving Women's Health Across the Lifespan, 2021
Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate that is neither digested nor absorbed in the small intestine. Fiber is found exclusively in plant food or can be synthesized and added to food products. It is characterized by its level of solubility in water. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, forming a gel-like material that helps to sweep cholesterol from the intestine and slow the speed of digestion which can lower blood glucose. It is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, carrots, barley, citrus fruits, and psyllium. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and increases stool volume, allowing movement of fecal matter through the digestive tract. It is known for its ability to help with constipation and feed the bacteria of the gut. Whole wheat foods, bran, nuts, beans, cauliflower, green beans, and potatoes all contain insoluble fiber. Higher intakes of dietary fiber are associated with reduced risk for several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.29 More recently, dietary fiber and its relationship with gut microbiome diversity demonstrate its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, which bolster support about its important role in the human diet. The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI)s use 14 g of fiber per 1,000 kcal as a reference for adequate intake.23
Bioactive Compounds in Bamboo Shoots
Nirmala Chongtham, Madho Singh Bisht in Bamboo Shoot, 2020
Dietary fibre is defined as edible parts of plants or analogous carbohydrates that are resistant to digestion and absorption in the small human intestine with complete or partial fermentation in the large intestine. Based on water solubility, dietary fibre is divided into two forms: (i) insoluble dietary fibre (IDF), which includes celluloses, some hemicelluloses, galactomannans, xylans, xyloglucans and lignin; and (ii) soluble dietary fibre (SDF), which includes β-glucans, pectins, gums mucilages and some hemicelluloses (Căpriţă et al. 2010). Consumption of food or food products rich in dietary fibre content has been shown to be beneficial in improving digestive function, reducing serum cholesterol levels, normalizing blood sugar levels, easing constipation, prevention of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases (Fernandez 2001, Merchant et al. 2003, Anderson 2008, Delzenne et al. 2019). Dietary fibre has not only health benefits, but also imparts some functional properties to foods, for example increase water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, emulsification and/or gel formation. Dietary fibre incorporated into food such as bakery and dairy products, jams, meats and soups can modify textural properties, avoid synaeresis, stabilize high fat food and emulsions and improve shelf-life (Elleuch et al. 2011).
Nutrition and eating disorders
Joseph S. Sanfilippo, Eduardo Lara-Torre, Veronica Gomez-Lobo in Sanfilippo's Textbook of Pediatric and Adolescent GynecologySecond Edition, 2019
Carbohydrate-rich foods, such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, provide the main source of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is categorized into soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber helps to recruit water, improve transit through the intestines, and treat constipation. Food sources of insoluble fiber include green leafy vegetables, whole wheat products, seeds, and nuts.52 Soluble fiber, in contrast, has a lesser impact on intestinal transit but has been associated with decreased total and LDL cholesterol.53 In addition, soluble fiber helps to regulate blood sugar levels and insulin secretion in individuals with diabetes.54 Soluble fiber is found in oat, oat bran, nuts, barley, flax seed, and some fruits and vegetables. Mean adolescent fiber intake is well below the recommendations, likely secondary to the low intake of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains among adolescents. Adolescents who skip breakfast may be at higher risk of having an inadequate consumption of fiber, so recommending regularly scheduled meals with a balanced diet may help to increase fiber intake.55 However, rapid increases in fiber in the diet can lead to diarrhea and abdominal cramping, so dietary changes should be made gradually to increase fiber intake as tolerated. It is also important to meet fluid recommendations when increasing fiber in the diet.
Psyllium seed husk regulates the gut microbiota and improves mucosal barrier injury in the colon to attenuate renal injury in 5/6 nephrectomy rats
Published in Renal Failure, 2023
Dongmei Hu, Wenbo Liu, Wanlin Yu, Lihua Huang, Chunlan Ji, Xusheng Liu, Zhaoyu Lu
Dietary fiber consists of carbohydrate polymers that are neither digested nor absorbed in the upper digestive tract; they enter the colon directly, where they are partially or completely fermented by colonic bacteria. It includes both natural plant foods and health-promoting compounds isolated from natural and artificially synthesized materials [7]. Among the positive effects of dietary fiber on human health are improved integrity of the gastrointestinal wall and a reduction in the levels of systemic uremic toxins [8]. Accordingly, dietary fiber may be even more important for patients with CKD. In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, which enrolled 14,543 participants, increased dietary fiber intake was associated with statistically and clinically significant reductions in inflammation and mortality due to kidney disease. The effect was significantly more pronounced in participants with than without CKD [9]. Despite these findings, nutritional guidelines for patients with kidney disease [10] make weak recommendations regarding dietary fiber, as there is insufficient evidence from clinical and laboratory studies. Therefore, further studies on the role of dietary fiber in CKD are clearly warranted.
Dietary Adequacy among Multi-Ethnic Urban Youth in Edmonton: Findings from the Wellness and Health in Youth – Aboriginal and All Communities in Transition NOW (WHY ACT NOW) Project
Published in Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2021
Fariba Kolahdooz, Forouz Nader, Se Lim Jang, Jennifer McKeen, Maryam Daemi, Nora Johnston, Sangita Sharma
This study presents essential data on the dietary adequacy of a sample of urban, multiethnic youth and corroborates other evidence that Canadian youth do not meet dietary recommendations (26–28). Our results also showed sweetened beverages and NNDFs were the top contributors to calories, sugar, and fat among youth. This study found that the majority of participants did not meet the requirements for dietary fiber, vitamins A, D, E, and B5, calcium, and magnesium. Vitamins A and E are important for proper immune system function along with vitamin C (48), and inadequacies may play a role in the development of obesity (49). Vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium inadequacies can negatively affect bone health (50, 51). Dietary fiber is beneficial for weight control, bowel function, cholesterol control, and the prevention of type 2 diabetes (52, 53); an inadequate intake of dietary fiber is implicated in an increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease (51, 54). Most youth exceeded adequate sodium intake, which has been associated with elevated blood pressure (51).
Dietary fiber intake, depression, and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2023
Faezeh Saghafian, Maryam Hajishafiee, Parisa Rouhani, Parvane Saneei
Our findings of an inverse association between total dietary fiber intake and odds of depression were consistent with other systematic reviews and meta-analyses reported that healthy and Mediterranean dietary patterns (rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and dietary fiber) were associated with reduced risk of depression [41–43]. In contrast, some studies reported no association between total dietary fiber intake and depressive symptoms, in particular among elders [17,16], suggesting that elderly people were more likely to be susceptible to depression due to poor dietary habits and changes in gastrointestinal function and appetite which might force them to avoid consumption of raw fruit, vegetables and wholegrain products [38]. In the current meta-analysis, each 5 g/d increase in total dietary fiber intake was associated with a 5% decrease in risk of depression. Earlier studies have also shown that each 100-g increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables was respectively associated with a 3% and 5% reduction in the risk of depression [8]. Recommendations for daily dietary fiber intake is 25 g for women and 38 g for men, while the average intake of dietary fiber in USA is 15 g/day, much lower than the recommendations [44]. Further randomized controlled trials or prospective cohort studies are needed to establish whether increasing consumption of the foods rich in dietary fiber might be an effective approach to prevent depressive symptoms.
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