How — and why — to fit more fiber and fermented food into your meals

An F may mean failure in school, but the letter earns high marks in your diet.

F 可能意味着学业失败，但这封信在你的饮食中赢得了高分。

The two biggest dietary Fs - fiber and fermented foods - are top priorities to help maintain healthy digestion, and they potentially offer much more.

两种最大的膳食 F——纤维和发酵食品——是帮助维持健康消化的首要任务，而且它们可能提供更多功能。

How can you fit these nutrients into meals?

如何将这些营养素融入膳食中？

Can this help your overall health as well as gut health?

这可以帮助您的整体健康和肠道健康吗？

The gut microbiome is a composed of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms living in the colon (large intestine).

肠道微生物组由生活在结肠（大肠）中的细菌、病毒、真菌和其他微生物组成。

What you eat, the air you breathe, where you live, and many other factors affect the makeup of the gut microbiome.

你吃的东西、你呼吸的空气、你居住的地方以及许多其他因素都会影响肠道微生物组的构成。

Some experts think of it as a hidden organ because it has a role in many important functions of the body - for example, helping the immune system function optimally, reducing chronic inflammation , keeping intestinal cells healthy, and providing some essential micronutrients that may not be included in a regular diet.

一些专家认为它是一个隐藏的器官，因为它在身体的许多重要功能中发挥着作用 - 例如，帮助免疫系统发挥最佳功能，减少慢性炎症，保持肠道细胞健康，以及提供一些常规饮食中可能不包含的必需微量营养素。

Your gut communicates with your brain through pathways in the gut-brain axis.

您的肠道通过肠-脑轴中的通路与您的大脑进行交流。

Changes in the gut microbiome have been linked with mood and mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

肠道微生物组的变化与情绪和心理健康障碍有关，例如抑郁和焦虑。

However, it's not yet clear that these changes directly cause these types of problems.

然而，目前尚不清楚这些变化是否直接导致这些类型的问题。

We do know that a healthy diet low in processed foods is key to a healthy gut microbiome.

我们确实知道，低加工食品的健康饮食是健康肠道微生物群的关键。

And increasing evidence suggests that fiber and fermented foods can play important parts here.

越来越多的证据表明纤维和发酵食品可以在这里发挥重要作用。

Fiber's main job is to make digestion smoother by softening and adding bulk to stool, making it pass quickly through the intestines.

纤维的主要作用是通过软化粪便并增加粪便体积，使其快速通过肠道，从而使消化更加顺畅。

But fiber has other benefits for your microbiome and overall health.

但纤维对微生物组和整体健康还有其他好处。

A high-fiber diet helps keep body weight under control and lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

高纤维饮食有助于控制体重并降低低密度脂蛋白（坏）胆固醇水平。

Research has found that eating enough fiber reduces the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.

研究发现，吃足够的纤维可以降低患心脏病、2 型糖尿病和某些癌症的风险。

There are two types of fiber: insoluble (which helps you feel full and encourages regular bowel movements) and soluble (which helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar).

有两种类型的纤维：不溶性纤维（有助于您感到饱腹感并促进定期排便）和可溶性纤维（有助于降低胆固醇和血糖）。

However, recent research suggests people should focus on the total amount of fiber in their diet, rather than type of fiber.

然而，最近的研究表明，人们应该关注饮食中纤维的总量，而不是纤维的类型。

If you're trying to add more foods with fiber to your diet, make sure you ease into new fiber-rich habits and drink plenty of water.

如果您想在饮食中添加更多含纤维的食物，请务必养成新的富含纤维的习惯并喝大量的水。

Your digestive system must adapt slowly to avoid gas, bloating, diarrhea, and stomach cramps caused by eating too much too soon.

您的消化系统必须慢慢适应，以避免因吃得太多太快而引起胀气、腹胀、腹泻和胃痉挛。

Your body will gradually adjust to increasing fiber after a week or so.

大约一周后，您的身体将逐渐适应增加纤维。

The fiber formula is 14 grams for every 1,000 calories consumed.

每消耗 1,000 卡路里纤维配方为 14 克。

Your specific calorie intake can vary depending on your activity levels.

您的具体卡路里摄入量可能会根据您的活动水平而有所不同。

"But instead of tracking daily fiber, focus on adding more servings of fiber-rich foods to your diet," says Eric Rimm, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard's T.H.

哈佛大学流行病学和营养学教授埃里克·里姆（Eric Rimm）表示：“但是，不要追踪每日纤维摄入量，而是要在饮食中添加更多富含纤维的食物。”

Chan School of Public Health.

陈公共卫生学院。

Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are all high in fiber.

水果、蔬菜、豆类、坚果、种子和全谷物都富含纤维。

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans has a comprehensive list of fiber-rich foods and their calorie counts.

《美国人膳食指南》列出了富含纤维的食物及其卡路里含量的完整清单。

What about over-the-counter fiber supplements that come in capsules, powders that you mix with water, and chewable tablets?

胶囊、与水混合的粉末和咀嚼片形式的非处方纤维补充剂怎么样？

"If you have trouble eating enough fiber-rich foods, then these occasionally can be used, and there is no evidence they are harmful," says Rimm.

“如果你很难吃足够的富含纤维的食物，那么偶尔可以使用这些食物，而且没有证据表明它们有害，”里姆说。

"But they should not serve as your primary source of dietary fiber."

“但它们不应该作为膳食纤维的主要来源。”

Fermented foods contain both prebiotics - ingredients that create healthy changes in the microbiome - and beneficial live bacteria called probiotics.

发酵食品含有益生元（可在微生物组中产生健康变化的成分）和称为益生菌的有益活细菌。

Both prebiotics and probiotics help maintain a healthy gut microbiome.

益生元和益生菌都有助于维持健康的肠道微生物组。

Besides helping with digestion and absorbing vital nutrients from food, a healthy gut supports your immune system to help fight infections and protect against inflammation.

除了帮助消化和吸收食物中的重要营养物质外，健康的肠道还能支持您的免疫系统，帮助抵抗感染和预防炎症。

Some research suggests that certain probiotics help relieve symptoms of gut-related conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, though not all experts agree with this.

一些研究表明，某些益生菌有助于缓解肠道相关疾病的症状，例如炎症性肠病和肠易激综合症，尽管并非所有专家都同意这一点。

Many foods that are fermented undergo lacto-fermentation, in which natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food, creating lactic acid.

许多发酵食品都会进行乳发酵，其中天然细菌以食品中的糖和淀粉为食，产生乳酸。

Not only does this process remove simple sugars, it creates various species of good bacteria, such as Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium .

这个过程不仅去除了单糖，还产生了各种有益细菌，例如乳酸菌或双歧杆菌。

(Keep in mind that some foods undergo steps that remove probiotics and other healthful microbes, as with beer or wine, or make them inactive, like baking and canning.)

（请记住，有些食物会经过一些步骤，去除益生菌和其他有益健康的微生物，例如啤酒或葡萄酒，或者使它们失去活性，例如烘焙和罐头。）

The exact amounts and specific strains of bacteria in fermented foods vary depending on how they are made.

发酵食品中细菌的确切含量和具体菌株根据其制作方法而有所不同。

In addition to probiotics, fermented foods may contain other valuable nutrients like enzymes, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids.

除了益生菌外，发酵食品还可能含有其他有价值的营养素，如酶、B 族维生素和 omega-3 脂肪酸。

There is no recommended daily allowance for prebiotics or probiotics, so it is impossible to know precisely which fermented foods or quantities are best.

益生元或益生菌没有推荐的每日摄入量，因此不可能准确知道哪种发酵食品或数量最好。

The general guideline is to add more to your daily diet.

一般准则是在日常饮食中添加更多。

Fermented foods have a range of tastes and textures because of the particular bacteria they produce during fermentation or that are added to foods.

发酵食品具有多种口味和质地，因为它们在发酵过程中产生或添加到食品中的特定细菌。

Yogurt is one of the most popular fermented foods (look for the words "live and active cultures" on the label).

酸奶是最受欢迎的发酵食品之一（在标签上寻找“活性菌”字样）。

Still, many options are available if you are not a yogurt fan or want to expand your fermented choices.

不过，如果您不喜欢酸奶或想扩大发酵选择，还有很多选择。

Kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and pickles are a few examples.

泡菜、酸菜、康普茶和泡菜就是一些例子。

As with fiber, probiotics are also marketed as over-the-counter supplements.

与纤维一样，益生菌也作为非处方补充剂销售。

However, like all dietary supplements, they do not require FDA approval, so there is no guarantee that the types of bacteria listed on a label can provide the promised benefits - or are even in the bottle.

然而，与所有膳食补充剂一样，它们不需要 FDA 批准，因此不能保证标签上列出的细菌类型能够提供承诺的益处 - 甚至不能保证瓶子中存在细菌。

"Therefore, it is best to get your probiotics from fermented foods," says Rimm.

“因此，最好从发酵食品中获取益生菌，”里姆说。

To learn more about the value of fiber, fermented foods, and a healthy gut microbiome, listen to this episode of the Food, We Need to Talk podcast, "Understanding the Microbiome."

要了解有关纤维、发酵食品和健康肠道微生物群的价值的更多信息，请收听“食物，我们需要谈论”播客的这一集“了解微生物群”。

Matthew Solan , Former Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch

马修·索兰 (Matthew Solan)，哈佛男性健康观察前执行编辑

Howard E.

霍华德·E。

LeWine, MD , Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing

LeWine，医学博士，哈佛健康出版社首席医学编辑；哈佛健康出版社编辑顾问委员会成员

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.

作为为读者提供的一项服务，哈佛健康出版社提供对我们存档内容库的访问。

Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

请注意所有文章的最后审查或更新日期。

No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

本网站上的任何内容，无论日期如何，都不应替代您的医生或其他合格临床医生的直接医疗建议。

What is tempeh?

什么是豆豉？

Benefits, nutrition, and how to use it

好处、营养以及如何使用它

Light exposure at night may raise risk for heart disease

夜间光照可能会增加患心脏病的风险

Whole grains may improve several heart risk factors at once

全谷物可以同时改善多种心脏病危险因素

A lumbar belt may help ease low back pain

腰带可能有助于缓解腰痛

Children of centenarians may stay healthier and live longer too, study finds

研究发现，百岁老人的孩子可能更健康、寿命更长

Signs of pneumonia: Sometimes vague and unexpected

肺炎症状：有时模糊且出乎意料

The surprising link between ovarian cancer and the fallopian tubes

卵巢癌与输卵管之间令人惊讶的联系

Using a vibration plate: What it can — and can't — do for your body

使用振动盘：它能为您的身体做什么，不能做什么

People who walk more or walk faster live longer, study finds

研究发现，走得更多或走得更快的人寿命更长

When your digestive system is running smoothly, you tend not to think about it.

当你的消化系统运转顺利时，你往往不会去想它。

Once trouble begins, your gut — like a squeaky wheel — suddenly demands your attention.

一旦麻烦开始，你的直觉——就像一个吱吱作响的轮子——突然需要你的注意。

This Special Health Report, Help for Your Sensitive Gut , covers the major sources of gastrointestinal distress: irritable bowel syndrome, gastric reflux, upset stomach, constipation, diarrhea, and excess gas.

这份特别健康报告《帮助您敏感的肠道》涵盖了肠胃不适的主要来源：肠易激综合症、胃反流、胃部不适、便秘、腹泻和排气过多。

It also includes a special Bonus Section describing how emotional stress and anxiety can cause gastrointestinal distress.

它还包括一个特殊的奖励部分，描述情绪压力和焦虑如何导致胃肠道不适。

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将最新的健康新闻发送到您的收件箱！