Fibres are a form of carbohydrates that is indigestible in the intestines. That means that they cannot deliver energy by take up of glucose, but they reach the intestines entirely. Once there, three things can happen:
- They form a bulk by attracting water, which makes the stool more viscous. That helps to prevent constipation and ease up the stool.
- They are fermented by bacteria in the large intestine. That results in the formation of substances, short chain fatty acids, that have many beneficial functions: increasing insulin release, decrease cholesterol synthesis, increase metabolism and help the immune system.
- Some fibres can result in the growth of favorable bacteria, which are important for your stool, for getting energy out of nutrients and for the improvement of the immune system. These are called prebiotics.
I sea pasta is high in fibre, as it contains 30,5 grams of fiber per 100 grams dried weight, which mainly are the alginates and fucoidans. And I sea bacon is even higher in fiber, as it contains 7 grams more fibre per 100g dried weight than I sea pasta: 37,5 grams in total! I sea bacon mainly contains the alginates, agars and carrageenans.