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Dietary fiber is the indigestible part found in plant, and it includes many things from plant cell walls to non-starch polysaccharides. It helps stabilize blood sugar, promote gastrointestinal health and prevent constipation. This is because that these undigestible parts will facilitate the peristalsis of intestine. You can find plenty of dietary fiber in wholegrain cereals, vegetables and fruits.
Here I’ve included the picture of dietary fiber’s molecular structure to give an idea of why it’s indigestible—very big molecule, little reactive parts.
图表 1 Structure of lignin, one kind of fiber图表 2 Structure of cellulose, one kind of fiber
Like humans, other animals have also evolved the instinct to help them digest better. Take chickens as an example. They will take in small grains of stones while they’re eating, and those stones perform the exact same rule as fibers in our body—helps peristalsis of intestine.
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