If you often suffer from a sluggish system, there is a midnight snack that could help.
The best late-night snack for unblocking your gut is a fiber-filled snack that costs about $5 a package, according to Isabel Vasquez, a New York-based registered dietitian.
She’s talking about crispy chickpeas: packets of legumes that are toasted, baked, or roasted until dry and crispy.
Sweet or savory seasonings can be added, depending on your preferred flavor palette, Vasquez said.
Chickpea snacks are high in fiber, which could make them a good choice for late-night snacks, especially compared to other snack options.
These crunchy little bites are packed with fiber and gut-friendly minerals that ease digestion and feed healthy gut bacteria.
This means they are an “amazing late night snack that will help you poop,” Vasquez wrote in a column for Eat Well.
Studies show that high-fiber foods, such as chickpeas, add bulk to stool, making it easier to pass and decreasing the chance of constipation, which regularly affects about a fifth of Americans.
It also softens waste from the intestine, making it even easier to exit the body.
But not all fiber is equal. Chickpeas are particularly rich in insoluble fiber.
Mrs. Vasquez did not recommend any particular brand of chickpea snacks, but mentioned that you can buy them at a store or make them at home.
Insoluble fiber does not dissolve easily in water and adds bulk to stool, causing food to pass through the intestines more quickly. according to mount sinai. It is found in whole grain and vegetable products.
Soluble fiber, on the other hand, easily turns into mush in the stomach and doesn’t help digestion much. It is found in citrus fruits, apples and walnuts.
Chickpeas have almost three times more insoluble fiber than soluble fiber, according to the Ottawa North Welfare Foundation– which could help them digest better.
Chickpeas, and snacks derived from them, also help healthy bacteria grow in the gut, according to a 2021 study by food scientists at Volcani Institute in Israel. Researchers discovered that the molecular components of chickpeas constitute an ideal food source for bacteria, called prebiotics.
Many Americans probably struggle with constipation simply because they don’t get enough fiber in their diet, Vasquez said.
Only five percent of Americans get enough fiber in their daily diet. according to a 2017 review published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.
The Institute of Medicine recommends that people eat 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day, depending on age and sex. On average, Vasquez said, Americans consume about 14 grams per day. That’s equivalent to eating about 3 apples, which contain 4.5 grams of fiber.
Eating insufficient fiber has also been associated with chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, according to the American Nutrition Society. Some studies have also linked it to the recent rise in colorectal cancer.
According to experts, one of the main causes of constipation in the United States is a lack of fiber.
A one-ounce serving of Biena chickpea snacks, which cost $4.49 a bag and are available at stores like Target, contain six grams of fiber and only 120 calories.
Eating them late at night, compared to other crunchy snacks like Lay’s potato chips, which contain one gram of fiber, could help you achieve a healthy poop.
In addition to eating chickpeas as a snack, Vásquez has some recommendations to maintain regularity throughout the day.
This includes eating other fibrous fruits and vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts and raspberries. Additionally, drinking plenty of water can help keep your stools a healthy consistency.
Finally, he recommends making sure you consume sugar and salt in moderation, as studies have shown It relates excessive consumption to constipation..