Eating only hamburgers, salads and lettuce still does not provide enough dietary fiber

Many people are accustomed to Westernized diets and believe that eating hamburgers or salads with lettuce means they are getting dietary fiber. However, Zheng Naiyuan, director of the Lian-An Clinic, pointed out that he had participated in a study and found that vegetables that are often used as lettuce, such as cabbage and lettuce, actually have low dietary fiber content. He recommends that you still consume a variety of vegetables and fruits every day, otherwise you will lack dietary fiber and be prone to constipation.

Doctors point out that the dietary fiber intake from eating lettuce alone is not enough, and recommend consuming a variety of vegetables and fruits. (Photography by Zhang Yawen)

The World Health Organization recommends that each person should consume 30 grams of dietary fiber per day. Dr. Zheng Naiyuan said that this weight is not equal to the weight of fruits and vegetables, so it is difficult for the general public to estimate directly. However, he once conducted research with Uni-President Taiwan and found that the dietary fiber contained in a cabbage is only one-third of the dietary fiber intake. Lettuce is also a vegetable of the same type. Relatively speaking, leafy vegetables such as spinach, water spinach, and sweet potato leaves have higher dietary fiber content.

Dr. Zheng Naiyuan reminds us that we cannot just eat a certain kind of vegetable. For example, those who like to eat Western food such as hamburgers, although it seems that they have eaten a large piece of lettuce, the actual amount of dietary fiber they eat is very small. It is recommended to consume as many aspects as possible. In addition to eating more vegetables and fruits of various colors, it is also recommended to eat whole grain rice and pasta, including brown rice, whole grain rice, and whole wheat bread, all of which contain dietary fiber.

Insufficient dietary fiber intake can easily lead to constipation. Dr. Zheng Naiyuan pointed out that women are at high risk of constipation because of their slower intestinal motility. If the total amount of fiber they eat is insufficient, they do not exercise enough to stimulate intestinal motility, and they have to go to the bathroom at fixed times, they are very likely to suffer from constipation.

In order to solve the problem of constipation, some people drink a lot of plant-based laxatives containing enzymes. Dr. Zheng Naiyuan reminds that if used in large quantities for a long time, it is easy to induce colon cell apoptosis and melanin deposition. Animal experiments have shown that there is a risk of carcinogenesis. The best way is to prevent it from the source and consume more fiber to avoid constipation.