Fibrous matter is polysaccharides that is undigested when eaten, including substances such as cellulose, pectin, lignin … that can be found in plant foods: vegetable, fruit. Depending on the solution in water, fibrous matter is divided into two types: soluble and insoluble.
– Insoluble fibrous matter:ismainly cellulose, sometimes hemicelluloses, found much in fruit skin and vegetables. Insoluble fibrous matter has the characteristics of absorbing water in the intestine then swelling to facilitate easy excretion of waste matter.
– Soluble fibrous matter: includes pectin along with viscous fluids, pentozan …Pectin can be found in the white pulp of grapefruits, oranges and of some other fruits. Soluble fibrous matter passing through the intestine will create (a solidified layer) that slows down the absorption of some nutrients into the blood, at the same time increases the porosity, softness of digested waste residue.
Fibrous mater is important for human body because it prevents a number of important diseases by: lowering blood cholesterol, anti-constipation, treating diabetes, anti-obesity and preventing cancer. Therefore, in order to ensure adequate fibrous matter intake for the body, according to the National Nutrition Institute, each day an adult should eat about 35 different kinds of food, in which more than 400 grams of vegetables and fruits should be served.
All plant foods have two types of this fibrous matter. Food that contains much fibrous matter is vegetables, fruits, beans, whole fiber cereals. The details is as follows:
– Group of cereals: sesame rice bran, black sesame cake, manioc, sweet potatoes, green pea, bean, dragon pea, black bean, soy bean, French bean seed, black sesame.
– Group of vegetables: dried bamboo, peziza, gracilaria, bamboo shoots, pennywort, banana flowers, unripe papaya, water cress, cactus, sauropus androgynus, amaranth, sweet potato buds, celery cabbage, water dropwort, water spinach.
– Group of fruits: dried banana, star apple, dragon fruit, durian, orange, coconut, wild jackfruit, longan, dried grapes.
(Source: Internet)
