Vehgetables as Sources of Dietary Fiber to Prevent Degenerative Diseases

Abstract

For long time vegetables were thought only as the sources of severd vitmins; however, I has been shown that vegetables c&ain ofher are components, which also important for mainteining body's health, i.e., dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is a gmup of polysaccharides and other polymers, which cannot be -fed by hman upper gastmintestincd system. Dietary fiber can be puped as soluble and insoluble, having dfirent phvsbbgjcd e M . SokrMe didcry fiber (SDF) is e M k e in preventing cardiovascular diseases, while insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) can prevent the develqpment of cdon c m ,d iv~uuloska,s wen as obesw. Loci4 vegetables found to contain high SDF (higher than 3,06O% db) are: watercress, green bean, e m f , eggp/ant, lettuce, !mcco/i, sspnach, sfn'ng becn, and aubergine; while those containing high IDF (higher than 40,60°% db) are: winged bean, watemress, Chinese /eaves, "katuk" W, m e , pen bebein, broccdi, cand and spinach. Cooking practices such as bailing, steming and pan frying decrease the IDF content d v@aMes, 6uf nd to SDF content.