Most French people do not consume enough fiber, however essential for food balance and health. What are their role? Where to find them? How to cover your needs? Answers with Lise Lafaurie, nutritionist in Paris.
Fibers have many benefits on our body.
- Neither digested nor absorbed by the small intestine, the fibers will naturally contribute to fighting constipation and facilitate intestinal transit.
- By forming a net around the food bowl, the fibers decrease the absorption of part of the cholesterol, fats and sugars contained in the meal. They therefore help limit hypercholesterolemia and regulate blood sugar.
- It promotes the development of good intestinal bacteria, essential for good transit and easier digestion.
- They reduce the risks of the appearance of certain cancers, including colorectal cancer and breast cancer.
- The fibers occupy a certain volume in the stomach and largely contribute to the satisfaction and the control of the appetite.
We must first distinguish two types of dietary fiber:
- Soluble fibers, Visqueuses, which form a frost in contact with water. They are found in fruits, vegetables and legumes.
- Insoluble fibers, that act like small sponges and swell in the intestine. They are found in whole grains and oilseeds.
The best sources of fiber are therefore fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains (full rice, complete pasta, quinoa, buckwheat, spelled, etc.).
Dietary fibers have an essential role in intestinal digestion and transit. They make it possible to increase the volume of the food bowl as well as the consistency of the stool, stimulate the contractions of the intestine and promote the expulsion of food waste.
Here are some tips for increasing the amount of fiber in your diet.
- Consume more fruits: apples, blackcurrants, blackberries, raspberries, guyaves, currants, prunes, apricots, coconut, hazelnuts, almonds, nuts, raisins, peanuts, dates and figs. And favor fresh fruit, much richer in fiber than fruit juices or pressed fruit. Do not hesitate to consume the skin of the fruit (previously rinsed) and the seeds or seeds contained in the fruits (watermelon, grapes, apples, etc.).
- Consume more vegetables: each meal should ideally contain at least one portion of vegetables. Ideally, you will even have two portions of vegetables: one cooked and the other flood. Relear you to cook little used vegetables but with a high fiber content such as turnips, artichokes, salsify, leeks, fennel and spinach.
- Think of legumes: prepare beans and lenses, to accompany dishes, salads or even soups. Think of chili con carne, chickpea salad, houmous or broken pea puree.
- Replace your starchy foods and cereals refined with whole grains: we relegate the eggs with eggs and white rice on the closet, and we put everything on their complete versions. Rice can be chosen wild, black, red or even brown, and complete pasta now exist in all forms.
- Also think of the Boulghour, Quinoa, Spelled, Millet, Sorgo or oats.
- Think of dried and oilseed fruits: add dried fruits (dried apricots, prunes, dates, etc.) and oilseeds (nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, etc.), with a high fiber content, in salads, blanc cheese or yogurts.
- Prefer whole wholemeal and breads to cereals: wholemeal bread, prepared with a whole wheat flour, and cereal breads (barley, rye, sound …) contain a large amount of fiber, unlike white bread or wand.
- Prefer mie bread, complete cookcases or grilled breads rather than wheat.
- Move your white flour with whole wheat flour: to make cakes, muffins, cakes and other homemade pastries, use complete flour. You can also add wheat sound, linen seeds or oatmeal.
- Decorate your dairy products with seeds and sound: a spoon of wheat sound, oat sound, flax or chia seeds in yogurt or white cheese are a great tip for increasing your daily fiber consumption!
Very significant consumption of insoluble fibers risks cause some digestive discomforts (irritation, bloating, etc.), in the fragile intestines. In addition, in large quantities, these fibers could harm the absorption of certain minerals (calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, etc.).
However, keep in mind that overconsumption of fibers is very unlikely, and that the real public health problem at present, remains the insufficiency of contribution!
