They are anything but annoying ballast for the human body: the name roughage comes from a time when people were not aware of the advantages of the food components. These are diverse:
They make you slim: Some of them have a maximum of two calories per gram. For comparison: Carbohydrates have four calories per gram and fat has seven calories per gram. High-fiber foods also have a particularly large number of essential nutrients.
They keep you full: Because fiber binds water and swells, it fills the stomach faster and delays gastric emptying. They also prevent blood sugar levels from rising too quickly after eating.
They help digest: The anti-constipation effect is well known. However, if the intake is increased too quickly, gas formation can occur.
They feed the intestinal flora: Food rich in fiber (processed as little as possible) increases the variety of microorganisms in the intestine. It is also assumed that they break down harmful microorganisms that can enter our system through animal fats, for example.
They protect against germs: When fermentable fiber is broken down in the intestine, short-chain fatty acids are formed, which lower the pH value there. This makes it harder for pathogenic germs to survive.
Examples of dietary fibers are pectin (fruits), beta-glucans (oats, mushrooms, barley, yeast), mucilage (linseed, chia or psyllium), hemicellulose (wheat, rye, legumes, leafy and root vegetables), inulin (onion, chicory, artichoke), cellulose (cereals, fruit, vegetables).
The fiber content is particularly high in wheat bran (45 g per 100 g), linseed (38.5 g), white beans (23 g), soybeans (22 g), dried plums (19 g), salsify (18 g) , lentils (17 g).
Sarina Hunkel: 111 high-fiber recipes, Humboldt Verlag, 22 euros
author
Dietlind Hebestreit
Dietlind Hebestreit
