FIBER FACTS

ORLet’s Keep Things Moving

What are the six basic types of nutrients?

• Protein

• Vitamins

• Minerals

• Fats

• Water

• Carbohydrates (Starch, sugars, and cellulose)

WHAT IS DIETARY FIBER?

• Dietary Fiber is the part of plants that the human body cannot fully digest. This is why it is called a non-nutrient.

• It is sometimes called “roughage” or “bulk”.

THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF FIBERNon-Soluble

fiber• This is the

structural part of the plant that will not dissolve in water.

• It is found in wheat, fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

Soluble fiber• This substance in

plants will form a gel in water.

• It is found mainly in oats, beans, and some fruits and vegetables.

Where Do We Get Fiber?• Fiber is found in: Whole grains

Vegetables

Fruits

Legumes and nuts

These are all PLANT Foods!

What Does Not Have Fiber?• There is NO fiber in animal products

such as: Milk

Cheese

Meat Fat

Or Eggs

What Does It Do In The Body?

• Fiber acts like a sponge in your body-

it absorbs and holds water in the food in your body to keep the digestive materials soft and able to move easily through the intestines and colon.

What Does Fiber Do For You?

Whoa! Wait a minute--

• Then if I eat lots of fiber I also will have to drink more WATER. If I don’t then I could have a blockage of fiber in my intestines!

What else does soluble fiber do?

• Soluble fiber like that in oatmeal, helps to clean out your blood vessels and helps to reduce the chances of heart disease.

It acts a little like scrub brushes in your blood.

So… How Much fiber do I need?

Adults should have between 20-35 gr. of fiber per day.

That would be – 2 servings of chili (10 gr.)

plus- 2 slices of whole wheat bread

(10gr.)

•Children ages 3-18 should have less.

Figure their age +5

A 10 year old would need age 10 + 5

15 gr. per day

Why Does It Have To Be Whole Wheat Bread?

Starch

VitaminsMineralsSome fiber

FiberMineralsVitamins

• To make white flour they remove the bran and germ and use only the endosperm.

When they do this they have removed vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

The Enrichment Act of 1942 required them to add B vitamins and iron back into the flour, thus, the name “enriched”. But the fiber wasn’t put back in.