At the time of the war our grandparents made bread with the flours that were there: dark, raw . The rich were eaten by white bread.
Did we still have this idea, even today, that refined products are "more chic"? Or maybe we are re-evaluating the advantages of integral fibers ?
In fact, eating whole fiber is good for our intestines and our whole body. Not just for bread. Let's try to understand more.
Why is it good to eat whole grain fiber?
"Because the doctor says." That's right. The international dietary recommendations foresee a high quantity of raw fibers in these daily doses:
- 5 portions of vegetables and fruit (3 vegetables +2 fruit, fresh and seasonal),
- 2 liters of water (also taken through food, which helps to "slide" the fibers),
- the replacement of a good part (the ideal would be half) of refined cereals (bread, pasta, rice, rusks, baked goods and breakfast foods) with their integral, better organic counterparts .
The vegetable integral fiber is of two types:
- Insoluble, which acts mainly on the functionality of the intestine, improving its "cleanliness" and functioning as a food for the bacterial flora; increases the fecal mass; accelerates intestinal transit; reduces the contact time of the intestinal mucosa with harmful or toxic substances.
- Soluble, which has more complex effects: in our body it undergoes transformation into gel with consequent slowing of gastric emptying (and relative increase in the sense of satiety), as well as the reduction of the absorption of glucose and cholesterol (which remain trapped in the gel).
Integral fibers also contain minerals and vitamins and several substances with beneficial health effects :
- effect on weight control, thanks to molecules such as fructans, phenolic acids, flavonoids, choline,
- antioxidant and protective effect of the cardiovascular system, thanks to alpha-linolenic acid, tocopherols, beta-carotene, phytosterols,
- mood effect, given by magnesium, anti-stress mineral.
Scientific research shows that greater consumption of whole fiber is good for health, with these results:
- leads to healthier eating habits on the whole (thanks to a more varied diet, rich in nutrients in general, not just in calories)
- the risk of cardiovascular diseases decreases (20% less);
- increases the control of the physiological increase in weight due to age (which we all meet from age 40 upwards, due to normal metabolism changes)
- decreases the risk of being overweight, obese and suffering from type 2 diabetes;
- decreases the risk of developing colon cancer
- improves the composition of body fat : those who do not eat any integral fiber have more visceral fat, the "belly", more associated with cardiovascular diseases.
The daily amount of fiber that is good for health is 30 grams .
Dietary fibers: if you know them, use them!
Where are the integral fibers
It is easy to say " supplements ", but in this case it is not enough to add here and there of the bran to have the advantages of integral fibers. In fact, the positive effects on health are given by the interaction of all the nutrients present in food.
You don't get the same effects with supplement pills. We must change our eating habits .
Here is a brief summary of dietary fiber, what it is and where it is found:
- Soluble fibers : they are pectins, gums, mucilage, galactomannans ; they are found in legumes and in fresh fruit (especially in the peel, therefore better than the organic one).
- Insoluble fibers : they are cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin ; found in fresh vegetables and in all whole grains .
Beware of phytates : it is not recommended to exceed in the consumption of raw cereals and raw fibers since they are rich in phytates, molecules that reduce the intake of fundamental minerals such as calcium and zinc.
Not only does refining eliminate phytates, but also whole grain processing techniques, such as baking and leavening (yeast contains enzymes that destroy phytates).
