A Misunderstanding about Fiber

If we ask common people about fiber, perhaps they will fastly say that fiber-contained food is very good and recommended. It is the positive effect of advertisement in TV or mass media about this important food. However, if you try to ask some people whether chicken meat and beef contain fiber or not, it is possible that 8 of 10 people say they have. Whereas fiber is in fact not in animal food. All of fiber is in vegetable food.

Why Fiber is Important?
Fiber is important for our body because it can absorb water and make the food enlarge so it arouse satiation feeling. Fiber also retards digestion system so that it can keep satiation feeling longer. By this mechanism, fiber help us lower our weight and sugar-content in the blood.

The ability of fiber to absorb water make our waste softer. This can stimulate peristaltic contraction in large intestine so that the waste does not stay much longer in the intestine and we can be defecated smoothly. This mechanism work of fiber really help to alleviate and also to prevent from piles. The toxic of our waste in our body does not have enough time to stimulate the formation of cancer cell.

The fiber will also absorb gall liquid and cholesterol so that it can help lowering cholesterol level in the blood and finally can eliminate the risk of coronary disease.

Some Researchs About Fiber
The research of prof. dr. Joseph M Keenan (Minnesota University, USA) shows:
Cereal fiber has connection with the lowering of heart disease, fruit fiber has connection with the lowering of blood pressure, and soluble fiber is effectively provable in lowering cholesterol.

Dr. Maria Soller in the International Journal of Cancer:
Both soluble and unsoluble fibre has protective effect against mouth cancer, pharyngeal cancer and esophagus. Fiber also lower the risk of large intestine and rectum cancers.
Prof. Sheila Bingham ( Cambrige University ) in European Conference on Nutrition & Care at Paris: Fibre-contained food can slower digestion so that it can emerge satiation feeling longer than usual. (look at Journal of The American Medical Association).

The National Cancer Society Dietary Guidelines for America suggests to consume fiber food 20 - 35 gram a day. Whereas Indonesian people only needs 20 - 25 gram a day.Although the fact shows that Indonesian people only consumes fiber 10 - 15 gram a day (Puslitbang Gizi Bogor).

The conclusion is if you are a good consumer of cereal, nuts, beans, cabbage and other leafy vegetables and fruits, you do not worry about fiber deficiency. But if you don't, you have to take fiber supplement to help you.