What is the difference between Soluble Fiber and Insoluble Fiber?

Many of us do not care about the difference in insoluble fiber and soluble fiber. All we know is they are fibers and fiber is good for health. Let us take a closer look why fibers are categorize as soluble and insoluble. Let us have a good review about fibers. Fibers or dietary fiber or others call it roughage is the indigestible portion of a plant that works on the digestive system in attracting water for easier bowel movement. Fibers consists of cellulose and several plant components like dextrine, inulin, lignin, chitins and pectins. Dextine is a soluble polysaccharides which can be found mostly in starch. Inulin is used to store energy and is commonly found in plant roots and rhizomes Lignin is derived from a plant cellulose. Chitins is the components found in plant cellulose and keratine. Pectins contain in the cells of a plant.

Food sources of dietary fiber are basically divided into soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber, meaning they can be dissolve in water while insoluble are fibers that cannot be dissolve in water. Let us dig first more on soluble fibers. Soluble fibers are those fibers that bind in fat or fatty acid. It prolonged stomach from emptying from food so that sugar can absorb slowly in the body. Sugar is then converted into energy for human activity consumption. Soluble fiber lowers LDL or bad cholesterol. It is the soluble fiber that reduced our risk of heart disease simply by lowering bad cholesterol and improving effect of good cholesterol. Soluble fiber helps diabetic patients by regulating blood sugar and turning them into energy. Soluble fibers lessen the risk of diarrhea, constipation, hemmorhoids, abdominal bloating and other inflamatory disease cause by unhealthy colon. 

Soluble fiber is found in plants such as legumes, beans, rye, oats and barley, broccoli, carrots, antichokes. It can also be found in root crops like potato, sweet potato, onion, psyllium seed and psyllium husk. Soluble fiber is the widest use in preventing IBS and relieving its symptoms once it is aggravated. Soluble fiber does not contain calories since it passes directly into the body unmutilated. Soluble fiber soothes and normalizes our digestive system. It also helps our colon on its normal peristalsis movement. Soluble fiber absorbs excess liquid from the digestive tract and the colon to stop diarrhea.

 

Now what is insoluble fiber? Insoluble fibers are those fibers that cannot be dissolve in water. Insoluble fibers can be taken from bran, whole wheat grains, nuts and seeds, potato peels flax seed and lignans. Others not mentioned belong to categories of both solble and insoluble fibers. Health practitioners believe that the most nutritious and healthiest kind of fiber is the insoluble fibers. Insoluble fiber has a constituent similar to that of a fat in which it is very powerful stimulant to out gastrointestinal tact. Insoluble fibers are not recommended to those who have Irritable bowel syndrome. Insoluble fiber tends to expel feces from the colon immediately which can be very harmful when you have irritable bowel syndrome. If you have IBS see to it that fiber stay longer so that bulk feces is prominent on your colon to make your colon work normally. The bulk feces is then eliminated through aid of fiber and that is how soluble fiber works. Plants that has a rough skin, any kinds of seeds and nuts are a sure sign of high insoluble fiber. For a healthy stomach always eat insoluble fiber together with soluble fiber to keep you away with gastrointestinal problems. Sparagus, sprouts vegetables are also high in insoluble fibers. Though insoluble fibers can be eaten with precautions especially for someone who is suffering from IBS, Insoluble fibers play a very important role in our digestion. Insoluble fiber not only expel feces in an immediate manner but it also protects us from heart disease.