Fiber In Children’s Nutrition
Fiber is one of the essential components in children’s diets. This element guarantees a good intestinal transit, thus reducing many of the common ailments among the little ones. In addition, its consumption generates a series of benefits that we are going to comment on.
However, it must be taken into account that the diet in children must be as varied as possible. Fiber must be introduced through fruits, vegetables and whole grains, but other aspects such as protein intake or fat consumption should not be neglected.
Fiber and constipation
One of the main benefits of fiber in children is its ability to prevent constipation. It is capable of increasing the volume of the fecal bolus, thus stimulating the mechanoreceptors of the digestive tract, which triggers violent peristaltic movements.
According to research published in the journal Nature Reviews , regular fiber consumption reduces the incidence of functional constipation. This is usually caused by a slowing of the transit generated by little activation of the tube receptors.
Consume fiber to improve gut health
Another aspect of fiber is its ability to improve the health of the microbiota. Normally it is an energetic substrate for the bacteria that live in the intestine, stimulating their growth and reproduction. In this way, problems such as dysbiosis are avoided.
According to a study published in The British Journal of Nutrition , the intake of soluble fiber is always recommended to ensure the proper functioning of the microbiota. In addition, it generates a series of short-chain fatty acids during its fermentation, with an anti-inflammatory nature.
It must be taken into account that the state of the microbiota in children can determine their subsequent health, since a good part of its biodiversity is acquired during this stage.
To generate satiety
One of the most frequent nutritional problems in children is snacking between meals. These are usually made from unhealthy foods, which negatively conditions the proper functioning of the body. It is not at all beneficial for the child to consume simple sugars or trans fats regularly between main meals.
To avoid such a situation, fiber can be used. When this element is introduced in meals, the rate of absorption of nutrients is reduced, as well as gastric emptying. Thanks to this, the feeling of satiety is prolonged, reducing the risk of the child consuming unhealthy ultra-processed foods between hours.
With this objective, it is advisable to include whole grains such as rice or oats, vegetables and fruits in each meal. The latter can appear in dessert, accompanied by yogurt. The probiotics in fermented dairy also help improve intestinal health, thus increasing the effects of fiber discussed above.
Fiber as an antinutrient
It is often said that fiber has the ability to reduce the absorption of certain nutrients in the diet, such as iron or calcium. The truth is that, although this effect exists, it is not too worrying, much less in children.
A very high fiber intake could condition the bioavailability of minerals or some vitamins, but this situation does not usually occur. The most common is sin of a very poor presence of fiber in the diet, which is widely harmful to the intestinal tract. Anyway, if deficits are detected, you can always adjust the diet or include a supplement.
An important substance
As you have seen, fiber is an important substance for children. It manages to reduce one of the most frequent ailments in this population group and generates a lower risk of constipation and intestinal discomfort, which makes digestion more efficient.
In addition, it helps to stimulate the growth of bacteria that live in the digestive tract. Having a great biodiversity in the microbiota is related to a better state of health and a lower risk of becoming ill in the medium term. On the other hand, it is always advisable to accompany the fiber with fermented dairy products to provide probiotics.
