IS FIBER ESSENTIAL?⁣ IT DEPENDS..

IS FIBER ESSENTIAL?⁣ IT DEPENDS…☆⁣
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To answer this question, let’s clarify some concepts first.⁣⁣
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What are NUTRIENTS? What is an ESSENTIAL NUTRIENT? & what is FIBER & where does it fit within these definitions?⁣⁣
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Well, nutrients, on the one hand, are substances in food that provide structural or functional components or energy to the body, whereas an essential nutrient is a substance that must be obtained from the diet because the body cannot make it in sufficient quantities for growth & development and/or the maintenance of life ⁣⁣
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On the other hand, dietary fiber, is defined ‘the edible parts of plants or analogous carbohydrates that are resistant to digestion and absorption in the human small intestine with complete or partial fermentation in the large intestine’⁣⁣
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Fiber categorization is far more complex than we think. Dietary fibers are classified according to several parameters, including primary food source, chemical structure, water solubility & viscosity, as well as fermentability. Dietary fibers are then subdivided either into polysaccharides (non-starch polysaccharides [NSPs], resistant starch [RS], and resistant oligosaccharides [ROs]) or into insoluble and soluble forms.⁣⁣
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So, although it doesn’t meet the criteria of being needed for life/growth, hence theoretically speaking, not considered an essential nutrient, FIBRE is UNDOUBTEDLY AN ESSENTIAL PART OF A HEALTHY DIET ⁣⁣
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The adequate intake for fiber is 14g total fiber/1,000 kcal, or ⁣⁣
➡️ Adult men: 38g ⁣⁣⁣
➡️ Adult women: 25g⁣⁣⁣
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The benefits of fiber include:⁣⁣⁣
✅ Helps maintain gut health⁣⁣⁣
✅ Normalizes bowel movements⁣⁣⁣
✅ Helps lower cholesterol levels⁣⁣⁣
✅ Helps control blood sugar levels⁣⁣⁣
✅ Promotes Longevity⁣⁣⁣
✅ Improves weight management⁣⁣⁣
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TAKEAWAY⁣⁣
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Is it fiber essential for life? Probably not, is it essential for a healthy diet for proper functioning of the gut? ABSOLUTELY!!⁣⁣
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