Maintain Brain and Bone Health, with Fiber Dense Foods
Maintain Brain and Bone Health, with Fiber Dense Foods
Irrespective of how we take care of our bodies, age is something that catches up on everyone. As we grow older, our mental prowess decreases, we tend to become slow and are generally not sturdy as before.
However, you can help yourself to a certain extent by embracing a fiber rich diet. A fiber rich diet has positive effects on the brain and the bones. Since these two are the two most problematic parts of old age, the fiber rich diet comes as a boon to all senior citizens of America and also to the senior inhabitants of other countries.
The numbers of those affected with Alzheimer’s is astonishingly high. As many as 4.5 million Americans suffer from this disease and the number is growing like anything. Every year, more than an appalling 350,000 citizens are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. In fact, this deadly disease claims almost 60,000 individuals.
The only way to combat this killer disease is to opt for a fiber rich diet early. A fiber rich diet that consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds can play a major role in your fight against Alzheimer’s.
The breakthrough comes because of the research of certain Swedish scientists. These scientists, after experiments, have concluded that keeping cholesterol, blood pressure and fat under control is functional in helping individuals to combat Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Since fiber rich foods are instrumental in keeping the blood pressure, cholesterol and fat under control, it is the potential weapon against Alzheimer’s. Fiber has the ability to lower the LDL levels, which are also known as “bad cholesterol levels” and raise the HDL that is known as “good cholesterol levels”. It is also helpful in regulating blood pressure and initiating fat loss.
Fiber is instrumental in weight loss. The secret to its success in the weight loss regime is that fiber stimulates the release of cholecystokinin (CCK). CCK is a hormone that tells your brain that your stomach is full and you do not need food. A fiber rich diet means more secretion of CCK, which in turn means that you will not feel hungry for a long time. Fiber also keeps diabetes in control by allowing the gradual breakdown of sugar and thus delaying the blood sugar absorption.
Apart from all the above benefits, fiber also reduces the calorie intake of your body. A fiber rich diet makes you healthier and keeps you slimmer.
Fiber and Bone Health
Fiber is also instrumental in keeping up the health of your bones. A research team of the Framingham Heart Study in Massachusetts concluded that the individuals who consumed a lot of fruits and vegetables had healthier bones even as they aged. This led Katherine L. Tucker PhD, an Associate Professor of Nutrition at Tufts University to reaffirm the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables in our diet.
However, we cannot be sure if it is fiber that makes the bones strong, as most fruits and vegetables are rich in minerals like magnesium and potassium. But we cannot negate the importance of fiber completely either.
It is proven that individuals who consumed excessive processed food low in fiber and mineral content suffer from weaker bones. If you do not want to be counted amongst the 30 million individuals in the USA who suffer from osteoporosis, you must go for a healthy fiber rich diet soon. Osteoporosis is a disease affecting your bones. It makes them weak to such an extent that you become more vulnerable to fractures.