Plants are the main source of dietary fiber (fibre). All plants contain fiber. Some only have a little, but others are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber. Within a plant different parts of it may have different fiber content. Plums are a good example. Plum fruit has thick skin around a soft and juicy pulp. Plum skin is a source of insoluble fiber but the pulp has a lot of soluble fiber.1 Plants which are rich in fiber can be eaten as they are. Alternatively they can be processed in order to provide diet supplements rich in fiber.
There are differing opinions on the methods which should be employed to measure soluble and insoluble fiber contents in food products. Additionally, some products contain characteristics which mean that they can be classified as either type of fiber. On occasions this leads to considerable differences in the interpretations of various test results.
Table 1. Soluble and insoluble fiber contents in food product (grammes of fiber per 100 grammes of product).2Name | Total fiber content (g) | Insoluble fiber (g) | Soluble fiber (g) |
---|---|---|---|
Bread and rolls | |||
White roll | 3,00 | 1,89 | 1,11 |
Keiser (wheat) roll | 2,30 | 1,66 | 0,62 |
Wheat roll | 4,14 | 3,06 | 1,08 |
Wholewheat roll | 6,89 | 5,69 | 1,19 |
White bread | 2,28 | 1,28 | 1,00 |
Corn bread | 2,12 | 1,78 | 0,32 |
Wheat bread | 4,12 | 3,04 | 1,08 |
Wholewheat bread | 6,91 | 5,71 | 1,20 |
Croissant | 1,56 | 0,60 | 0,86 |
Corn tortilla | 5,19 | 4,38 | 0,81 |
White tortilla | 3,30 | 2,30 | 1,00 |
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