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fiber is often spoken about in the
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context of gut health however fiber is
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beneficial to Health in so many other
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ways my name is l and I'm a registered
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dietitian specializing in disordered
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eating and Sports Nutrition we're going
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to explore the benefits of fiber and how
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you can incorporate enough fiber into
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your diet to Avail of these benefits
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firstly what is fiber dietary fiber is a
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type of carbohydrate that isn't absorbed
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in the body unlike other carbohydrates
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fiber is not broken down into sugar
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molecules during digestion instead it
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passes through the digestive system
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relatively intact and encourages the
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movement of material inside the gut
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fiber is found exclusively in Plants
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fruits and vegetables are great sources
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of fiber but other plants are rich in
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fiber too like whole grains beans and
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legumes and nuts and seeds there are two
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main types of fiber soluble and
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insoluble fiber soluble fiber dissolves
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in water forming a gel-like substance in
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the digestive tract this is found in
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things like oats barley legumes and
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fruits it's easy to digest which helps
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helps to feed the good bacteria in our
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gut insoluble fiber doesn't dissolve in
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water and isn't easy to digest so it
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adds bulk to stool which encourages it
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to pass through the digestive system and
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prevent constipation this is found in
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whole grains nuts and seeds and
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vegetables not only can fiber help to
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prevent constipation and promote regular
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bowel movements but it also supports a
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healthy gut microbiota what's the gut
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microbiota I hear you ask the gut
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microbiota refers to the collection of
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beneficial bacteria or probiotics that
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we have in our gut these are important
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for providing us with energy and
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nutrients supporting immune function and
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keeping our gut healthy imbalances in
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the gut and bad gut bacteria is known as
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disbiosis and this can not only cause
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uncomfortable gut symptoms like bloating
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and constipation but can also increase
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the risk of diseases like inflammatory
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bowel disease and diabetes so how can we
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look after our gut microbiota Prebiotic
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fiber feeds the beneficial bacteria in
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our guts inulin and ala fructose are the
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two main types of Prebiotic fiber and
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both of these have been shown to
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increase the levels of probiotics in our
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G cut as well as reduce cholesterol
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levels reduce the risk of colon cancer
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promote immunity and help with the
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synthesis of certain vitamins especially
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vitamin K and increase the absorption of
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magnesium and calcium fermented foods
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like sauerkraut kombucha pickles as well
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as yogurt and cafir are great sources of
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Prebiotic fiber fruits veg and whole
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grains also contain Prebiotic fiber like
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onions garlic apples and bananas as I
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mentioned fiber is not just important
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for our good health one of the other
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amazing benefits of fiber is that it can
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remove excess cholesterol and other
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waste from our body high fiber diets
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have been closely correlated to a
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reduction in the risk of cardiovascular
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disease this is because fiber can help
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to reduce certain toxins and nutrients
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from being absorbed into the Bloods
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including cholesterol it has been
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estimated that for every 7 gr extra of
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fiber per day it can reduce the risk of
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heart disease by 9% and Stroke by 7%
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have you ever heard that oats can reduce
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cholesterol well oats and barley contain
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a type of soluble fibroid known as beta
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glucan which binds to cholesterol Rich
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bile acids and prevents them from being
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absorbed research has shown that 3 gam
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of better gluten per day is required to
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help lower cholesterol levels with one
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study finding that LDL or bad
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cholesterol levels were reduced by 15%
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and total cholesterol levels were
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reduced by almost 9% when individuals
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consumed 3 gram of B glucan per day for
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8 weeks you don't have to go chomping
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down porridge to Avail of these benefits
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as any recipe that provides at least 30
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G of Oats will provide around 1 gr of
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better glucan so including oats in the
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diet through things like granola musle
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and oat cakes can be really helpful
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barley is also a good source of beta
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glucan so adding barley to soups stews
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or even rados can help to increase your
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intake of this beneficial fiber a diet
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rich in fiber can also help with
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appetite and blood sugar regulation
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fiber can help us to feel physically
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Fuller for longer as it absorbs water
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and swells which increases the feeling
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of fullness high fiber foods tend to
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have a lower glycemic index meaning that
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they cause BL blood sugar levels to rise
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and fall slowly which helps to provide
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longer lasting energy and keep our
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energy and appetite levels more stable
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fiber cannot be broken down by digestive
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enzymes but it can be metabolized by
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certain species of bacteria within the
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gut through a process known as anerobic
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fermentation this process produces short
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chain fatty acids which can promote
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satiety by slowing gut motility and can
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support glucose regulation and lipid
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metabolism glucose metabolism is
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regulated by the production of the
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hormone insulin which is responsible for
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taking glucose in the bloodstream into
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the cells so that it can be used for
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energy long-term Studies have shown that
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fiber can reduce the risk of developing
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type 2 diabetes but can also improve
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markers of diabetes such as hba1c which
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is a test that measures the amount of
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glucose attached to red blood cells and
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gives an indication of how well your
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diabetes is controlled a recent
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systematic review and meta analysis on
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the impact of dietary fiber and whole
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grains in the management of diabetes
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highlighted improved insulin sensitivity
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HBO andc lipid profile and weight
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regulation dietary fiber has also been
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associated with the reduced risk of
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colorl cancer which is a term used us to
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describe both colon and rectal cancers
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colar rectal cancer is the third most
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common cancer worldwide numerous Studies
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have found an association between
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dietary fiber intake and risk of colorl
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cancer there are a few reasons for this
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high fiber diets have been associated
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with lower levels of inflammation in the
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colon and a reduced risk of developing
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polyps for which some types can become
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cancerous fiber can also encourage
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regular bowel movements which means that
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harmful chemicals spend less time in the
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bowel and the production of the short
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chain fatty acid butr can reduce the
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risk of tumors in the bowel developing
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research has suggested that an increase
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of fiber by 7 gr can reduce the risk of
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coloral cancer by 8% so as we can see
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fiber has many benefits for our health
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it is advised that adults should be
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getting at least 30 gram of dietary
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fiber per day to optimize these health
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benefits but figures suggest that the
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average fiber intake for adults falls
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short by around 40% with 18 G being the
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average intake you can increase the
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fiber in your diet by choosing high
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fiber whole grain breakfast cereals
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choosing whole grain breads pasta and
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other cereals keeping the skin on fruits
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and vegetables as this is where the
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fiber is and Topping meals with nuts and
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seeds adding things like lentils beans
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and chickpeas to curries soups and stews
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and including fruits and vegetables as
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part of the snack can all help to boost
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your fiber intake be mindful to
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gradually increase your fiber intake in
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order to avoid symptoms like bloating
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and gas as your digestive system adjusts
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as much as fiber can be helpful for
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preventing constipation too much fiber
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can sometimes cause it so ensure to
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drink plenty of fluid throughout the day
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particularly with meals that are high in
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fiber and be conscious to increase your
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fluid intake as you increase your fiber
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intake to help it to move through the
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digestive system fiber is essential to
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support our gut but as you can see it
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impacts our health in so many other ways
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too if you've got any questions please
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leave them in the comment section below
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and be sure to like this video and hit
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