How to add fiber to avoid colon disease, gallstones…

Fiber – a laxative that prevents many diseases

Assoc˳ Prof˳ Dr˳ Tran Dang, chairman of the Vietnam Association of Functional Foods, said that fiber is polysaccharides, not starch, which is the skeleton of plant cells and has resistance to digestive enzymes˳ in humans˳

Fiber has the role of preventing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, regulating energy, fighting obesity, reducing blood fat, improving colon function…

Assoc˳ Prof˳ Dr˳ Tran Dang analyzed, fiber is considered a useful “laxative”, increasing the speed of circulation in the intestine, thereby improving and maintaining colon function˳ Stool volume increases because fiber holds water and ions, thereby softening stools˳

At the same time, because fiber (soluble fiber) smooths the surface of the intestinal wall, it facilitates the easy movement of stool mass˳

Diets low in fiber are associated with constipation, appendicitis, hemorrhoids, rectal cancer, gallstones, and coronary heart failure˳ A rich diet fiber help fast elimination, anti-constipation, prevention of the above risks˳

Assoc˳ Prof˳ Dr˳ Trieu Trieu Duong – former director of the Institute of Digestive Surgery, 108 Military Central Hospital – said that improperly supplemented fiber can cause food cysts (intestinal obstruction) which is very easy to die˳ Because fiber cannot be digested in the gastrointestinal system because of the lack of specific digestive enzymes˳

Fiber is divided into two groups: soluble and insoluble in water˳ High-fiber foods do not have high nutritional value, but they are essential to the body, for example: insoluble fiber helps the digestive process to increase intestinal motility, prevent constipation, and increase the elimination of toxins˳ ˳

Fiber creates a feeling of fullness, reduces appetite so it does not cause excess energy – helps to lose weight, fight obesity, stabilize the pH of the intestinal tract…

When the fiber is dissolved, it forms a viscous mucus, a gel that prevents digestive enzymes from acting on fatty acids, cholesterol, and glucose, which is a useful food for people with obesity and diabetes˳

It should be noted that both soluble and insoluble fibers should be eaten at the same time with an equivalent ratio of 50/50 to support each other in digestion and absorption˳

Substrate for bacteria, providing energy for colon cells

Assoc˳ Prof˳ Dr˳ Tran Dang analyzed, there are 400 species of bacteria in the colon˳ This microflora needs fiber polysaccharides for growth and metabolism, they soften food residues and secretions from the small intestine˳

Although fiber is not hydrolyzed by digestive enzymes, it is fermented (degraded) by colon bacteria˳ The likelihood of fermentation depends on the type of bacteria and the type of fiber˳ Insoluble fiber is more difficult to ferment, soluble fiber is fully fermented˳

Bacteria that ferment cell wall polysaccharides by various aerobic pathways produce CO ˳₂hydrogen, methane, water and short-chain fatty acids (mainly anions, acetate, butyrate and propionate)˳

About 200-300 mmol of short-chain fatty acids are produced in the colon each day and are rapidly absorbed˳ After being absorbed, most of these fatty acids are used by colonic epidermal cells as a local energy source˳

Eating less fiber (10g/day) of short-chain fatty acids provides 25kcal, if you eat a lot of fiber, this energy source is 150-200kcal˳

It has been shown that the short-chain fatty acid butyrate prolongs cell replication and reduces the growth of colon cancer cells˳ Propionate has the effect of inhibiting starch digestion, inhibiting cholesterol synthesis, and lowering cholesterol˳

Acetate is the main short-chain fatty acid, absorbed by the liver and peripheral tissues, and rapidly converted to CO ˳₂˳ Acetate indirectly affects glucose utilization by reducing free fatty acids in the blood˳

Thus, the role of dietary fiber with colon function is not only to prevent constipation, increase the speed of circulation in the colon and serve as a substrate for bacterial activity, providing energy for colon cells˳ ˳

Supplementing with enough fiber not only helps keep the colon healthy but also prevents diseases: cancer, heart disease, gallstones, hemorrhoids, appendix …

Vietnamese people are eating less fiber, while vegetables and fruits are four seasons

Dietary fiber reduces glycemic response and insulin response after meals, should avoid spikes in blood sugar, helps reduce the risk of complications and coma due to acidosis, increased osmotic pressure due to hyperglycemia High˳