Posts Tagged ‘What Is Fiber’
What Is Fiber?
October 22nd, 2009 No Comments Posted in Diet, Health
What Is Fiber?
Dietary fibers come only from plants. They are the chemical substances in the cell walls that give plants structure and stability. Fibers in elude cellulose, polysaccharides, hemicelluloses, pectins, gums, mucilages, and lignin.
Different kinds of plants contain different fibers. Even within a species, the fiber content may vary according to growing conditions and maturity at harvest. Bran is almost entirely cellulose; apples, grapes, and some other fruits are high in pectin.
Fibers are not digested by human digestive enzymes. However, many are partially or completely digested by bacteria that reside in the gut, resulting in the production of gases.