At first glance, guava, chives, carrots, brown rice, tangerines and oats don't seem to have anything in common. Do not fool yourself. They are all packed with fiber! Thus, they stimulate satiety. They regulate intestinal transit and also protect our body against cancer.
A recent study from London associated the consumption of 10 grams of soluble fiber per day and a lower incidence of breast tumors. These are soluble and non-insoluble fibers. The difference is that soluble ones in contact with food form a type of gel that promotes satiety, controls blood glucose, regulates cholesterol (grains, fruits, oat bran). Insoluble fibers increase the fecal cake, regulating intestinal functioning (grains, cereals, soybeans, fruit peels).
One explanation for this reduction in breast cancer is due to the fact that fiber reduces the estrogen circulating in the blood. Then, the fibers are able to “grab” it and make it come out with the feces. It is the estrogen spikes that can cause breast cancer. Another hormone responsible for causing breast cancer is insulin. And, fibers are once again responsible for improving its action on glucose. In other words, fiber slows gastric emptying, leaving food in the stomach for longer, making sugar absorption slower and, thus, less insulin circulating in the blood.
Fiber in general also helps reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer. This conclusion is from an oncology center in Italy. This is explained because once the fibers are able to control the unrestrained action of insulin, they prevent the appearance of tumor cells in the pancreas, the organ that produces it.
The foods richest in fiber are:
In 1 medium shell
Soy 23.9 g Flaxseed (1 tbsp) 3.3g
Chickpeas 17.3 g 1 apple 2.6g Peas 13.5 g 1 tbsp. of avocado soup 2.83g Carioca beans 11.9 g 1 tbsp. of oat soup 1.37g Lentils 11.1 g 3 tbsp. carrot soup 1.14 g
Source: Revista Saúde, March 2012, São Paulo.