Dietary Fiber is Found Only in Plants
When talking about dietary fiber, it actually contains no nutrients and provides no energy to the body at all. It is simply a component that our body receives from eating vegetables, fruits, and plants. Fiber is mainly divided into two types:
- Insoluble fiber: This type of fiber can swell like a sponge but is not viscous. It increases dietary fiber and water content in the stomach, acting as a cleanser for the digestive system and helping you feel full faster.
- Soluble dietary fiber: This type of fiber absorbs water and becomes more viscous, similar to a soft gel. It helps absorb fats and sugars for use in the body.
Did You Know? The Body Actually Cannot Digest Fiber
Although fiber helps stimulate bowel movements, the body cannot actually digest fiber. However, there are bacteria living in the large intestine that break down this fiber and expel it through feces afterward. So, it’s no wonder that eating a lot of fiber makes bowel movements easier.
Fiber also helps reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels, lowers the risk of colon cancer, and importantly, makes you feel full quickly without providing energy. Therefore, it is suitable for those who truly want to control their weight.
Here Are the Top Fiber-Rich Plants
Many people who want to control their weight would want to find fiber-rich foods immediately. So, we have gathered plants that contain high fiber, up to 3 grams per 100 grams of weight, to share with you. What are they? Let’s start with basil seeds, brown rice, various dried beans such as red beans, black beans, soybeans, and sesame seeds. But if that’s not enough, there are also plants with moderate fiber content that are just as delicious, including some vegetables and fruits like pea eggplants, neem, wild betel leaves, water mimosa, banana blossoms, and more.
