Dietary fiber and vitamins are essential nutrients in the human body, and consuming them appropriately can benefit human health. However, the two differ in the nature, function, classification, and other aspects. Let’s take a closer look at the differences!
Source:
* Vitamins are abundant in yeast, grains, liver, soybeans, meat, fruits, eggs, and dairy products.
* Dietary fiber is a plant-based component, not an animal-based one. Plant-based foods are natural sources of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is abundant in whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, and fungi and algae foods. Especially in foods such as kelp, black fungus, enoki mushrooms, mung beans, dried dates, edamame, garlic sprouts, cornmeal, millet, strawberries, apples, fresh peas, bamboo shoots, chives, and bitter gourd.
Nature:
* Dietary fiber is a necessary polysaccharide for the human body, which is neither digested nor absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, nor does it generate calories. Therefore, dietary fiber used to be referred to as a “non-nutritive substance” in the past. However, with the development of technology and nutrition science, people have discovered the role of dietary fiber. For example, consuming dietary fiber can promote intestinal peristalsis, accelerate the body’s metabolism, and effectively relieve constipation. In addition, dietary fiber is now a well-known effective nutrient and has been recognized by the nutrition community as the seventh category of nutrients, alongside the traditional six categories of nutrients – protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water.
* Vitamins are a class of essential micronutrients necessary for maintaining the life processes of the body.There are many types of vitamins, each with different chemical structures. They are not the main raw materials for building various tissues, nor are they a source of energy in the body. However, they play an important role in the metabolism of substances and energy in the body. Vitamins are generally present in natural foods in their active form or in a form that can be utilized by the body.Since most vitamins cannot be synthesized in the body and cannot be stored in large quantities in body tissues, although they are needed in small amounts, they must be provided by food. A small amount of vitamins, such as niacin and vitamin D, can be synthesized by the body, and vitamin K and biotin can be synthesized by intestinal bacteria, but the amount synthesized cannot fully meet the body’s needs, so they cannot replace obtaining these vitamins from food.
Category:
* Dietary fiber is mainly divided into two categories: insoluble dietary fiber and soluble dietary fiber. Insoluble dietary fiber includes cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, etc., mainly found in staple foods and vegetables, as well as fruits. Soluble dietary fiber includes pectin, gum, etc. Lipid-soluble dietary fiber generally refers to insoluble dietary fiber, which is a special nutritional element containing various nutrients such as cellulose and hemicellulose.
* Vitamins can be divided into two major categories based on their solubility. One type is fat-soluble vitamins, which only dissolve in fats and fat solvents, cannot dissolve in water, and need the participation of fats to be easily absorbed by the body. They mainly include vitamin A, vitamin D, etc., which can help improve immunity and promote calcium absorption. The other type is water-soluble vitamins, which can dissolve in water and are not easily stored in the body. Common water-soluble vitamins include vitamin B and vitamin C, which mainly accelerate red blood cell maturation, prevent athlete’s foot, and promote growth and development of the body.
Function:
* Dietary fiber:
1. Promote digestion in the gastrointestinal tract: Proper dietary fiber intake can speed up the digestive process, have a specific water absorption effect, help with bowel movements, and effectively improve indigestion and fecal accumulation issues.
2. Common in plants: Dietary fiber is a complex substance naturally present in plants. Eating foods rich in dietary fiber can help promote overall health.
3. You can get it from food: Whole grains such as barley or corn and vegetables such as spinach or celery are rich in dietary fiber.
* Vitamin:
1. Maintaining life activities: Vitamins are essential for synthesizing enzymes and hormones in the human body and can participate in various metabolic processes, thereby maintaining the normal functions of life.
2. Promote healthy growth: Nutrient-rich vitamins can advance the development of the body, maintaining a healthy state of the body.
3. Enhance immune function: Vitamins can help the body resist microbial invasions and enhance the body’s immune function.
4. Antioxidant effect: Some vitamins have antioxidant effects, which can inhibit the production of free radicals and prevent cell aging and diseases.
5. Protecting vision: Vitamin A can maintain normal vision and prevent eye diseases like night blindness and trachoma.
6. Promote calcium absorption: Vitamin D can promote calcium absorption in the body, maintaining the health of bones.
7. Promoting blood circulation: Vitamin E protects red blood cell membranes, promotes blood circulation, and prevents cardiovascular diseases.
In conclusion, although vitamins and dietary fiber differ, they are essential in human health. Consuming them in appropriate amounts according to individual needs can benefit overall well-being.
