Fibre is healthy for our bodies. It feeds the kinds of bacteria we want in our gut and slows down the glucose intake which protects the liver. In unprocessed foods fibre comes in two types because they work perfectly together.
Water soluble and water insoluble fibre
Water soluble fibre means tiny fibre molecules that can be dissolved in water. The second kind, water insoluble fibre, is indigestible.
It’s the stringy plant bits that get stuck in your teeth when you’re eating a cellery stalk, or the white skin on oranges. When we chew on these tough parts, we grind them down and cut them into smaller sections but we do not actually destroy them on a molecular level.
In unprocessed fruits and vegetables both types always come together. They pass through our stomachs into our intestines where they form a net that partially covers our intestinal walls. In doing so, they slow down the intake of glucose and fructose into the blood stream.
It takes longer for our bodies to absorb the carbs from our meal. We feel full longer and our insuline levels stay normal. Healthy gut bacteria feed on plant fibre and the more food they have, the more they reproduce, leading to an overall healthier microbiome.
Added fibre
When food is processed, it is stripped of most of its fibre. Sometimes the water soluble kind is added back later.
This is often advertised in large letters on the packaging but without its counterpart, this type of fibre has very little health benefits. It just passes through our bodies.
When you prepare vegetables and fruit, bear in mind that anything you put into a blender turns into processed food because the sharp blades cut the chewy plant bits to shreds. Counterbalance this by adding high-fibre foods to your diet and eat unprocessed food as often as possible.
Protect your liver and feed your gut
Adding fibre to your diet is the easiest way to make any meal healthier. In many countries, like Italy and France, people eat an appetizer before the meal. This can be a salad or anti-pasti or any other form of vegetable. In other countries, like Germany, the vegetables are eaten with the meal itself.
Which of these versions sounds easiest for you? Always loved anti-pasti and needed a reason to eat them every day? Here it is! Fibre is incredibly good for our bodies and it comes in so many delicious forms, shapes and flavours. Enjoy figuring out which version is your favourite.
The Dodo Munches cannot and does not contain medical/health advice. The information is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please read the full disclaimer here.