Why do we need fiber? Paradoxical as it may sound, the main value of the plant fibers is that they have no nutritional value. The fibers are not digested and does not contribute to weight gain, but cleanse the body, stimulate peristalsis and create a feeling of satiety. Contained fiber in plant foods, so it is important to include them in your menu.

Useful "ballast"

It would seem that the word "ballast" has a negative connotation. What good is a product that does not give him the substances the body needs - no protein, no fat, no carbohydrates? It was long thought that the vegetable fiber did not need a man: in favor were carefully cleaned, refined products. It was the food of the rich people who choose for themselves the best.

But over time, doctors began to notice that the use of refined products have often backfired. Widely constipation and other digestive disorders, and obesity. In search of an explanation for this phenomenon scientists have paid attention to the fiber.

So fiber stimulates peristalsis. Moreover, the fibers act like a brush, thoroughly cleaning the intestinal wall of accumulated sediment. Fiber absorbs and removes toxins and waste products. In addition, the soluble dietary fibers are converted into a kind of jelly, which is necessary for the life of useful bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract.

Fiber comes in two forms - soluble and insoluble. Both of these varieties have their own characteristics.

Soluble fiber

Soluble fibers, as the name implies, can be dissolved in the water, becoming a jelly-like mass. This group includes resin, inulin and pectin. The resins have the ability to slow down the absorption of glucose. Pectin is capable of absorbing some of the material, and also slows the absorption of glucose. Inulin - a probiotic desired bacteria living in the intestine for normal operation.

Soluble fiber slows down the digestion of food. As a result, it eaten digested slowly, helping to prevent spikes in blood sugar Blood sugar - a very important indicator . Furthermore, soluble fiber reduces cholesterol and neutralize toxins that can cause cancer.

Contains soluble fiber in plant foods. Her many legumes (beans, peas, lentils, beans), grains (rye, oats, barley) and in some fruits. Apples, quinces, peaches Peaches: benefits and harms of sun fruits Bananas Bananas: the benefits and harms health , Avocados, prunes, raisins, berries - products with high content of fiber.

Products with coarse fiber

Insoluble fiber in foods - a coarse plant fibers that can not dissolve in water. This group includes lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose. Upon contact with water, such fibers swell like a sponge, significantly increasing in volume. Thus the fiber increases the volume of intestinal contents and stimulates the bowels.

According to some researchers, this property of cellulose makes it an effective tool for the prevention of many diseases, including very heavy.

What foods contain fiber of this kind? Cellulose much in the second grade wheat flour, all kinds of cabbage, bran, young green peas, cucumbers, peppers, berries and carrots. Hemicellulose is found in the bran, unrefined grains, cereals, beet. Other foods rich in fiber - is eggplant, green beans, radishes Benefits and harms of radish: what you need to know about this vegetable . Interestingly, most of the lignin contained in vegetables that are stored for a long time.

In what foods are high in fiber?

Fiber is found only in plant foods, so it is important to include in the diet of the maximum amount of fruit, vegetables and cereals. Fruits and vegetables as possible should be consumed in its raw form - during prolonged cooking can degrade cellulose. Apples, pears, peaches and other fruits is better not to clean - it is contained in the skin of the most crude fiber.

The champion on the content of dietary fiber - bran. 100 grams contains 44 grams of fiber. Much less vegetable fiber in almonds - 15%. The green peas - 12%. Followed wheat - 9, 6 grams of fat per 100 grams.

Other foods rich in fiber: whole grain bread (8, 5%), peanuts (8, 1%), beans (7%), raisins (6, 8%), lentils and fresh herbs (3, 8%), carrots broccoli (3%), white cabbage (2, 9%), apples and potatoes (2%).

Terms of use

Foods high in fiber in the diet should be administered with caution. If you dramatically increase the amount of food plant fibers, it can lead to indigestion, bloating and other unpleasant symptoms. Therefore, those who previously preferred refined foods, should increase the amount of fiber in your diet slowly.

At the use of fiber is very important to drink plenty of water and generally consume enough fluids. Otherwise beneficial effect on the body tissue is reduced.

Maria Bykov

Oleic acid - a monounsaturated acid, which is found in many foods of plant and animal origin. It belongs to the omega-9 and is considered one of the most healthful sources of fat in the diet. It is often used as a substitute for animal fat which mainly consists of saturated fats.

Oleic acid reduces total cholesterol, while increasing high density lipoprotein levels, and reducing blood levels of LDL (the so-called "bad" cholesterol).

Oleic acid has other useful properties. It slows the development of heart disease and helps produce antioxidants. Oleic acid is one of the ingredients of the oil Lorenzo - medicament which is used in the treatment of adrenoleukodystrophy, a rare disorder that affects the brain and causes symptoms similar to the symptoms of multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis - whether in remission? . Although Lorenzo's oil can not cure adrenoleukodystrophy (it is considered incurable), it can slow its progression in patients who have not yet developed symptoms.

One of the major sources of oleic acid is olive oil. It is also found in peanut oil, grapeseed oil, and poppy seeds, as well as sea buckthorn and sesame oil. Of oleic acid and animal fats; for example, chicken and turkey fat consists of oleic acid 37-56%, lard - by 44-47%. A lot of oleic acid in human adipose tissue.

Application

In industrial oleic acid is widely used to prepare the sodium salt - the main component of many types of soap. Its pharmaceuticals it is used as a filler in the manufacture of various aerosol is used as an emulsifier and a solvent.

Oleic acid was also used with the aim of tissue damage certain types of animal lungs - do during testing of new drugs to be created for the treatment of pulmonary diseases. For example, in sheep intravenous oleic acid causes severe lung damage, and as a consequence, pulmonary edema. Such studies are extremely useful prematurely born children, for which the timely and proper treatment of immature lungs is often literally a matter of life and death.

Fatty acids and their role in the human body

Fatty acid - a carboxylic acid, many of which are included in animal and vegetable fat. They carry energy (produced during their decay energy) and plastic (involved in the construction of biological membranes that make up the skeleton of the animal and plant cells). All fatty acids are divided into saturated and unsaturated. Unsaturated fatty acids are more useful as involved in the synthesis of biologically active substances and prostaglandins are actively involved in metabolism Metabolism: The basis of life of all living things .

Fatty acid synthesis occurs in the liver, the intestinal wall, lung and adipose tissue, bone marrow and other tissues. Fatty acids are part of a variety of lipid: glycerides, phosphatides, cholesterol, waxes and others who are actively involved in metabolism.

What is oleic acid and its role in the human body

Oleic acid - a monounsaturated fatty acid is higher, a part of lipids (fats), involved in the construction of biological membranes, and largely determines the properties of these lipids. Substitution of oleic acid in biological membrane lipids at the other fatty acids is dramatically changes the biological properties of the membrane as a permeability. The presence of large amounts of oleic acid in the fat of the fat depots person provides stability against oxidation of lipids deposited at moderate amounts of antioxidants Antioxidants: the truth about the notorious benefits .

Oleic acid - nonessential fatty acid, it is synthesized, in particular, in the cytoplasm of human liver cells. But in this case it is one of the most common fatty acids entering into the composition of dietary fat, and therefore plays an important role in human nutrition. Fats with a high content of oleic acid have a high digestibility. A medicine used in the drug based on oleic acid - linetol.

In industrial oleic acid is used as a basis for lacquers, coatings, enamels, varnishes and paints. It is used as plasticizer in perfumes, and its salts - as detergents.

Oleic acid as the fatty acid and the other serves as an energy source for living organisms. The energy released during the oxidation of oleic acid after cleavage from the molecule under the influence lipid pancreatic juice Diabetes and pancreas - the things you need to know . Synthesis of oleic acid is catalyzed by specific enzymes (oxygenases) that is present in the liver and adipose tissue.

In industrial oleic acid is obtained by crystallization after repeated digestion of lipids from the olive oil. Qualitative and quantitative determination of oleic acid is carried out by gas-liquid chromatography.

Meaning of oleic acid in the human diet

In animal fats for fraction oleic acid accounts for about 35-45% of total fatty acids, and most vegetable oils - from 20 to 40%. It is rich in oleic acid, olive oil (64-85%) and peanut (37-47%) oil.

Despite the fact that oleic acid is replaceable in the human diet is considered the most favorable its content closer to the content of fat in the backup rights. This avoids the need for major restructuring of the fatty acid composition of dietary lipids and therefore, will not occur wasting resources of the organism, including energy.

Optimal delivery of oleic acid with the food is provided in compliance with the formula balanced nutrition, according to which a third of the human diet should be vegetable fat, and two - thirds of animal origin. In this case the diet would contain about 40% oleic acid. During heat treatment of oils rich in oleic acid, they are much less likely than other oils undergo deterioration by oxidation. This is the basis for their use in some products, frying potatoes, corn, etc. as well as pouring cans.

In the hydrogenation of vegetable oil to produce margarine fat base forms of trans-oleic acid. This isomer, as well as oleic acid, is well absorbed by the human body, but to a lesser extent is included in the fat depot. In modern formulations of margarines provided along with sufficient natural form trans-oleic acid, which means that their incomplete absorption.

Galina Romanenko