The New View of Fiber - Essay Example

Now the question remains, how exactly do fiber-rich foods benefit us? The answer is simple. Fibers escape from the small intestine without getting digested. These then help in various bodily processes such as the growth of healthy bacteria and nutrient absorption.

The reason it is difficult to understand the benefits of fibers is that many types of fibers have different characteristics. Barley, beans, and oats decrease the level of cholesterol. Soluble fiber-rich foods when mixed with water swell in volume and when passing through the small intestines, they trap bile acids from the gall bladder. These acids are made from cholesterol and when we eat fat, these are pushed into the small intestines. The fiber plus water material absorbs the acid out of the small intestines and eventually out of the body and hence reduces cholesterol. Fibers also help in slowing the entrance of sugar into the blood in the same cholesterol was trapped from the small intestines. Fibers also help in sustaining the normal healthy bacteria that maintain the intestines, prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, improve the immune system, and increase absorption of calcium. 

The article was very informative. It covered each point related to fiber and its benefits in detail and at the same time, it was short enough to maintain the reader’s interest in the article. Concise and informative is the perfect combination that is needed in a good piece of writing. The language that was used throughout the article was also very simple and easy to understand. No such jargon was used which makes the article comprehendible for anyone interested. Examples and facts were given which make the argument of the writer more concrete and strong. However, it could have been made better by discussing the characteristics of each type of fiber in detail which would help in better understanding of the topic under discussion. Overall I would say that the article is a very good source of information and the writer has done a great job in presenting it.