“Dietary Fibers”  

Dietary Fiber

  In our diet, Dietary Fibers, as exogenous bulk-producing agents represents a group of carbohydrates or carbohydrate-containing compounds, are vegetable substances not digestible by the enzymes of the alimentary tract, which may be derived from plant cell walls and from the non-structural polsaccharides in natural foods.

In our diet, Dietary Fiber, although not considered essential nutrient in our body proper, may be an essential nutrient for our gastrointestinal system.

Two Forms of Fiber

  Absence or low Dietary Fiber may result in severe constipation and diverticular colon dis-ease, some natural sources of fiber include fruits, vegetables, and cereals.

Six classes of Fibers, derived from plant cell walls and from the non-structural polsaccharides in natural foods divide into the insoluble fibers Fibers include (pectin, mucilages and gum), and the soluble fibers (celluloses, lignins and some hemicelluloses).

Fiber comes in two basic forms

  Fiber comes in two forms: soluble (it dissolves in water) and insoluble (it does not dissolve in water). Insoluble fibers include cellulose, lignin and some hemicelluloses, and are found in foods such as wheat bran, corn bran, celery, and the skins of fruits and root vegetables.

Insoluble fiber helps to reduce the risk of intestinal cancers, and it helps prevent constipation and diverticulitis by absorbing toxins from foods, and reducing the production of bacterial toxins in the GI tract.

Most plant foods supply both the soluble and insoluble forms, and the diet should include a balance of both forms to get the different benefits they provide. *

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“Bulk-Producing Agents (Roughage)”  

Bulk-Producing Agents

  In our diet, Bulk-Producing Agents (Roughage) are bulk-forming substances, such as fiber in food, that adds bulk and water to stools so that they can pass more easily through the intestines **

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“Soluble Fibers”  

  In our diet, Soluble Fibers are dietary fibers, that include cellulose, hemicellulose and lignins.
  In our diet and our body, soluble fibers can lower blood lipid levels, specifically plasma LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B levels.
  The water-soluble fibers include plant materials such as gums, pectin's, mucilage's and some hemicelluloses. Foods high in soluble fiber include oats and oat bran, barley, psyllium seeds, flaxmeal, beans, peas, carrots, citrus fruits and apples.

Soluble fiber has been shown to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and stabilize blood sugar by slowing the absorption of sugar from the digestive tract. Soluble fiber is useful for diabetics since it helps lower insulin and triglyceride levels. **

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“Lignins”  

Lignin

  Lignin is a polyphenylpropanoid derived from three monolignol monomers: trans-p-coumaryl alcohol, coniferol and trans-sinapyl alcohol. A lignin has extensive cross-linking and no defined primary structure.
  In phytochemistry, lignins are the most abundant natural aromatic organic biopolymers found in all vascular plants, that together along with with cellulose and hemicellulose make up the major cell wall components of the fibers found in all wood and grass plant species.
  Examples of lignins include:

• p-hydroxyphenyl lignin (H-lignin)
• guaiacyl lignin (G-lignin)
• syringal lignin (S-lignin)

**

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“Insoluble Fibers”  

Insoluble Fiber

  From nature, Insoluble Fiber include Pectins, Alginates, Mucilages, cellulose, and Gums, generally as plant materials that are non-soluble in water. **

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“Dietary Gums”  

Dietary Gum

  In our diet, Dietary Gums are Dietary Fibers consisting of polysaccharides capable of causing a large viscosity increases in solution, even at low concentrations. Often these dietary gums are found in the woody elements of plants or in seed coatings.
  In carbohydrate science, Natural gums are natural polymers consisting mainly of carbohydrates, sometimes with small amounts of proteins and minerals.

  In the food industry, Dietary Gums are used as thickening agents, gelling agents, emulsifying agents, and stabilizers. These Natural gums are made from different parts of plants, seaweeds, or from bacteriological activity. **

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