Cellulose, like protein and fat, is an important nutrient for human beings. It has an irreplaceable balance of diet and improves digestion, absorption, and excretion. Therefore, fiber should be food, not waste after food processing.
Since proteins and fats can be synthesized and stored in the human body, cellulose cannot be synthesized and stored and can only be obtained from food. If the intake is insufficient, many diseases will result. Therefore, developed countries such as Europe and the United States began to vigorously promote the consumption of natural foods and foods with high fiber content after undergoing a period of disease caused by deep processing of foods.
At present, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has promulgated the guidelines for fiber foods, and proposes the recommended standards for 30 to 50 grams of fiber (dry weight) in healthy people's regular diet. At the same time, emphasis is placed on high-fiber foods (fortified fiber foods, whole wheat breakfasts, etc.) ) is an essential food for patients with obesity, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and constipation.
Classification of dietary fiber Dietary fiber is composed of the cell wall of a plant. Its main chemical constituent is a polysaccharide substance composed of a variety of carbohydrates.
Fibers that have grown to maturity or are essentially finished in the colloid, keratinized, and lignification processes are insoluble in water and are referred to as crude fibers, which are difficult for humans to digest and absorb. For example, bran digestibility is less than 5%. Fibers that are not yet mature or in a protoplasm, a secondary, or a protoplasm state have different solubilities depending on the degree of maturity and can be decomposed into simple polysaccharides or monosaccharides by stomach acids and lactic acid bacteria, which are called digestible fibers. Such as tender corn, soybeans, potatoes and fruits and vegetables, are rich in digestible fiber.
The physiological function of dietary fiber â—Stimulate gastrointestinal motility, absorb water, increase fecal volume, soften feces, promote defecation, shorten the time for harmful substances in the intestinal tract, effectively prevent gastrointestinal disorders, constipation, colon cancer and other digestion Disease.
â— It can be combined with cholate, cholesterol, triglyceride, and then excreted with the feces, which can effectively prevent high blood lipids, atherosclerosis, gallstones and other diseases.
â— It can reduce fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes patients.
â— It can reduce the intestinal absorption of glucose and fat and prevent obesity.
Insufficient fiber intake Mainly due to dietary fiber is mainly obtained from plant foods (cereals and various fruits and vegetables). However, fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water, therefore, to obtain 30 to 50 grams of dry weight of dietary fiber, at least 3 to 5 kg of fruit and vegetables should be ingested. This is obviously difficult to achieve. Therefore, to eat a sufficient amount of dietary fiber, you can only rely on the staple food - grains.
The content of dietary fiber in flour varies greatly depending on the degree of screening. The fiber content of whole wheat flour can reach more than 25%. Every person needs 200 grams per day to obtain sufficient dietary fiber. Fine white flour has a fiber content of less than 5%. The fiber content of rice is even lower, and fiber deficiency is more serious in rice-based people.
From the above, it can be seen that the root cause of the lack of dietary fiber in many people is that the processing of cereals is too fine and the intake of staple foods is insufficient. Therefore, if we want to change the status quo of inadequate dietary fiber intake, we must first start with grain processing and change the previous production methods for deep processing of grain (especially wheat). The second is to ensure that each person has enough staple food intake per day.
The enlightenment from “grain quantification†then, how many staple foods per person per day can satisfy the body's demand for dietary fiber?
As early as the planned economy, China's rations supply standard was 500 grams per day (dry weight). For most people, 500 grams of cereals can not only be eaten, but they are generally feeling that they are not eating enough to maintain a strong appetite. The historical facts of this stable and typical supply of rations provide us with the following useful lessons:
â— As long as you ensure that you consume 500 grams of cereals, you can basically guarantee the body's needs for dietary fiber.
â— Humans have a good ability to digest and absorb grains.
â— At that time, the total amount of dietary fiber was less than 50 grams, which was in line with the recommended standard for 30 to 50 grams of fiber per person per day for healthy people. Therefore, the incidence of modern civilization such as obesity and hyperlipidemia was relatively low at that time.
It is worth noting that as soon as the people’s living standards have rapidly increased, the blind pursuit of fine food in China is quite serious. Many residents, restaurants, and canteens are fashioned with “eaten foodâ€, excessive intake of animal-derived foods, and inadequate intake of plant-based foods, especially staple foods (especially coarse grains), resulting in unbalanced dietary structure and rapid dietary fiber deficiency. Growth has even inflicted damage on the health of our residents.
If the daily intake of fiber is 30 grams or more per person, the physical fitness of the people can be greatly improved, and the utilization rate of the food can be increased by more than 10%, equivalent to 100 million people's rations for the whole year, and it will also bring about food industry. Huge business opportunities. Therefore, the author calls on the state to increase investment in the production of fiber foods, and the media should strengthen the education on the theory of fiber foods. It is hoped that the government's competent department will promulgate the guidelines for fiber foods in China as soon as possible. This is of great significance for improving the physical fitness and health of the Chinese people, saving and making full use of precious food resources. The specific measures are as follows:
1. The implementation of national mandatory standards for food production and sales. In principle, it is not allowed to produce and sell flour with a fiber content below 10% and rice with a fiber content below 5%.
2. On the labels of various types of rice flour, grain processing semi-finished products and finished products, the fiber content and moisture content must be accurately marked so that consumers can calculate their daily intake of fiber.
3. It is recommended that healthy people intake 500 grams of staple foods with a fiber content of more than 10% per person per day. For people who eat rice as their staple food, they should try to supplement 10-30 grams of cellulose each day.
4. It is recommended that people who lack fiber, especially those who need to lose weight, should consume 80-150 grams of dietary fiber per person per day according to the specific conditions such as exercise volume, weight, and condition. It has been found that when dietary fiber intake exceeds 100 g, people may experience transient bloating or excessive exhaust. This is a normal physiological response. After gradually adapting, the gastrointestinal tract will return to normal.