Nutritionists call ballast substances the food components contained in food of plant origin and cannot be digested in the body. They are especially abundant in fruits and vegetables that do not undergo any heat treatment.
Ballast substances in the body
Previously, dietetics or dietetics considered such food elements to be useless, since the enzymes found in gastric juices are not able to digest and break down ballast substances. However, only in recent years it has become known that some of these substances can be digested by enzymes of microorganisms in the colon. During this process, in addition to gases, fatty highly digestible fatty acids are also released.
Usually, all ballast substances are divided into five groups - containing ligin (it is abundant in grain, fruit seeds and some types of vegetables), substances with alginates (found in algae and agar-agar), with pectin (in apples, as well as in other types of fruits and vegetables), with cellulose (the same grain and some fruits) and fiber (cereals, vegetables and fruits).
Moreover, according to recent studies, there are such "strong" bacteria in the intestines that can break down some compounds with extraordinary ease, which is beyond the power of natural human enzymes.
The benefits and harms of ballast substances
The main advantage of such compounds is a very long digestion time, which gives a person a long feeling of satiety. In addition, ballast substances remove bile acids, lower cholesterol levels, ensure normal stool and have a beneficial effect on the intestines affected by any diseases or ailments.
The slowdown of the digestion process after eating foods with ballast substances occurs due to the absence of the process of releasing a large amount of carbohydrates into the bloodstream, as well as a very slow absorption of nutrients into the intestinal walls. Another plus of such seemingly useless compounds is the complete absence of calories in them.
But, like everything useful, there are also negative sides. So the high activity of microorganisms leads to increased gas production and, as a result, swelling and even, in the case of very abundant consumption, damage to the epithelium or mucous membrane of the intestinal tissue. Another negative consequence is the extremely low binding of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and other essential beneficial trace elements. Excessive fullness of the intestines against the background of increased gas formation and increased work of the gastrointestinal tract can even lead to volvulus. That is why you should not overeat food with ballast substances, no matter how tasty they are.
