纤维对你有好处的4种令人惊讶的方式

Recent research about fiber has brought healthy complex carbs back into the news. It seems that in addition to being heart healthy and helping to keep cholesterol in check, it's really good for your brain. Here's a look at what the new research says plus some other surprising health benefits of eating a diet rich in fiber.

最近关于纤维的研究又把健康的复合碳水化合物带回了新闻。这似乎除了有利于心脏健康和控制胆固醇外，对大脑也很有好处。让我们来看看这项新研究的结论，以及富含纤维的饮食对健康的其他一些令人惊讶的好处。

Foods that are high in fiber have many health benefits. (Photo: marilyn barbone/Shutterstock)

It can help prevent chronic diseases

它可以帮助预防慢性疾病

People who eat a high-fiber diet everyday are less likely to suffer from a range of chronic diseases (coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer) compared to people who eat a diet low in fiber, according to a January 2019 study.

根据2019年1月的一项研究，每天吃高纤维食物的人比吃低纤维食物的人更不容易患一系列慢性疾病(冠心病、中风、2型糖尿病和结肠直肠癌)。

A half cup of cooked lentils provides 8 grams of fiber. (Photo: Gayvoronskaya_Yana/Shutterstock)

The only two caveats are that the studies and clinical trials analyzed for this research mainly focused on healthy individuals in western societies. The team couldn't definitively say if a high-fiber diet would have similar results in less-developed nations.

唯一需要注意的是，本研究分析的研究和临床试验主要集中在西方社会的健康个体。研究小组不能确定高纤维饮食是否会在欠发达国家产生类似的结果。

It delays brain aging

延缓大脑衰老

Raspberries have a surprisingly high amount of fiber in them. (Photo: GrashAlex/Shutterstock)

Based on research that showed older mice that consumed high-fiber diets had reduced rates of inflammation in their guts, scientists did a "genetic analysis of inflammatory markers" on humans and looked at the immune cell in the brain known as microglia. Researchers have found that "a high-fiber diet reduced inflammation in the brain's microglia," according to Medical News Today. Inflammation in microglia can cause a decline in memory and cognitive abilities as we age. Human diets rich in fiber can keep microglia inflammation down and may be helpful in combating dementia or Alzheimer's.

研究表明，食用高纤维食物的老年老鼠肠道炎症率降低，科学家在人类身上进行了“炎症标记物的遗传分析”，并观察了大脑中被称为小胶质细胞的免疫细胞。据《今日医学新闻》报道，研究人员发现“高纤维饮食可以减少大脑小胶质细胞的炎症”。随着年龄的增长，小胶质细胞的炎症会导致记忆和认知能力下降。富含纤维的饮食可以抑制小胶质细胞的炎症，可能有助于对抗痴呆症或阿尔茨海默氏症。

It decreases your risk of diverticulitis

它降低了你患憩室炎的风险

Photo: mama_mia/Shutterstock

Diverticulitis occurs when pouches in the lining of the intestine, known as diverticula, become inflamed. Diverticula often develop as people get older. When the diverticula are inflamed, it can cause abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea or constipation. According to WebMD, a diet rich in fiber may both soften and add bulk to the stool, making it easier to pass through the colon, decreasing the risk of the diverticula becoming inflamed.

憩室炎发生在小肠内壁的囊状物，发炎时称为憩室。憩室经常随着年龄的增长而发展。当憩室发炎时，会引起腹痛、恶心、腹泻或便秘。根据WebMD的说法，富含纤维的饮食可以使粪便变软、变粗，使其更容易通过结肠，降低憩室发炎的风险。

It promotes healthy bones

它能促进骨骼健康

Go ahead, enjoy that avocado toast. Those healthy fats and vitamins are helping to nourish your skin. (Photo: zi3000/Shutterstock.com)

Here's another benefit that we don't automatically associate with a high-fiber diet: healthier joints and bones. Care2 reports that "eating more fiber may help prevent rheumatoid arthritis and build stronger bones." But, it's not the fiber that directly affects the joints and the bones; it's the healthy gut bacteria fed by the fiber that can keep us from developing health problems with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoporosis.

高纤维饮食的另一个好处是:更健康的关节和骨骼。Care2报告说“吃更多的纤维可以帮助预防风湿性关节炎和建立更强壮的骨骼。”但是，并不是纤维直接影响关节和骨骼;正是由纤维滋养的健康肠道细菌，才能防止我们患上类风湿性关节炎或骨质疏松症。