Fibre - Its Importance to Our Health

All About Fibre

We all know that having the correct amount of dietary fibre in our diets is
extremely important. There are countless articles in the media, and reports from
the Department of Health urging us to increase our fibre intake. From the
moment we are born, we constantly flush our digestive tract with food. At three
meals per day a 20 years old will have eaten 15,000 meals. It is important that
the flow of foods be regular and that debris not plug up our intestinal walls and
interferes with the nutrient transfer into our body.
But what is dietary fibre, what does it do and how do I get the right amount in
my diet? This resource aims to answer these questions.
What exactly is Dietary Fibre?
Dietary fibre is the roughage found in cereals, fruit and vegetables. It is basically
the plant cell walls that give shape and rigidity to trees, shrubs, grasses and
herbs. When plants are eaten, we gain a number of health benefits from the
nutrients they provide, along with the positive effects of fibre within the digestive
tract.
The fibre composition of plants varies based on plant species but, generally, all
plants contain all kinds of fiber. The 2 main categories are:
Water-insoluble, including cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin; and
Water-soluble, including pectin, gums, and mucilage. Water-soluble fiber
is considered the most health-benefiting type of fiber, especially mucilage
fiber.
Insoluble Fibre
Wheat bran and whole grains, as well as the skins of many fruits and vegetables,
and seeds, are rich sources of insoluble fibre. The outer fibre layer is often
removed in food processing by milling, peeling, boiling or extracting and so
people are often not eating enough insoluble fibre.
Insoluble fibre makes stools heavier and speeds their passage through the gut.
Like a sponge, it absorbs many times its weight in water, swelling up and helping
to eliminate feces and relieve constipation.
Soluble Fibre
Soluble fibre is found in oats, legumes (peas, kidney beans, lentils), some seeds,
brown rice, barley, oats, fruits (such as apples), some green vegetables (such as
broccoli) and potatoes.
Soluble fibre breaks down as it passes though the digestive tract, resulting in a
gel that traps some substances related to high cholesterol. Evidence exists that
soluble fibre may reduce heart disease risks by reducing the absorption of
cholesterol into the bloodstream.
Recent studies have found that people consuming high-fibre diets have lower
total cholesterol levels and may be less likely to form harmful blood clots than
those who consume less soluble fibre. A recent USA report found that, in
sufficient amounts, fibre apparently reduced heart disease risks among men who
ate more than 25 grams per day, compared to those consuming less than 15
grams daily.
Why we need dietary fibre
Lets take a good look at how fibre can help us:
Insoluble fibre:
Delays gastric emptying time and the absorption of nutrients from the
small intestine;
Sweeps debris out of the gut, thereby improving nutrient absorption;

Bulks stools;
Accelerates colonic transit time;
Regulates bowels better than other laxatives;
Promotes colon health;
Supports weight loss;
Soluble fibre has the following benefits in addition to the benefits above!
Escorts cholesterol and triglycerides out of the body and inhibits their
production in the liver;
Assists with the elimination of toxins, and heavy metals in the body;
Stimulates pancreatic enzyme release and activity;
Stabilizes blood glucose by slowing down glucose absorption;
Aids in weight loss by providing a feeling of fullness and reducing calorie
absorption;
Improves bowel regularity by absorbing water;
Speeds the passage/elimination of waste from your system, by
significantly increasing colonic transit time;
Eases irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in some cases;
Soothes our intestines;
Helps to stabilize blood sugar levels: We have all experienced blood sugar
fluctuations, which cause us, for example, to be fine one minute and
exhausted the next. Soluble fibre from legumes, barley and oats can help
to regulate blood sugar swings by delaying the intestinal absorption of
sugar and so helps to maintain energy balance in the body;
Protects against heart disease: Several large studies in America, Finland
and Norway have found that people who eat relatively large amounts of
wholegrain cereals have significantly lower rates of heart disease and
stroke. Its thought that a particular type of fibre called soluble fibre may
be partly responsible as it helps to lower blood cholesterol levels;
Reduces excess blood fats;
Combats constipation;
In the bowel, bacteria convert fibre into short chain fatty acids, which
provide energy for the body and may help protect against cancer;
Mucilage sooths irritated intestinal linings;
Feeds friendly bowel bacteria;
Escorts bile acids, toxins and cholesterol out of the body;
Lowers the GI of carbohydrates by stabilizing insulin function.
On the reverse side, not having enough fibre in the diet is at least partly
responsible for a number of problems, including:
Elevated cholesterol;
Low and high blood sugar levels;
Bowel stagnation;
Colon cancer and other cancers;
Diabetes;
High blood pressure;
Certain types of heart disease.
How Much Dietary Fibre?
The Department of Health recommends that you consume a minimum of 18
grams of dietary fibre per day, from a variety of foods whose constituents
contain fibre. Although it does not differentiate between types of fibre.
Research suggests that 35-50 grams (1-2 ounces) per day brings optimum bowel
health for adults, but the average person only gets about 12 grams per day.

Where do I get fibre? What are high fibre foods?

Foods from plant sources are the only ones that supply us with enough fibre
necessary for health. Animal products lack fibre. High fibre foods include:
Unprocessed seeds like flax, psyllium, sesame, sunflower and chia, and
nuts (but not the oils from them);
Wheat, oat, barley, and rice bran and other whole grains such as brown
rice (but not the white rice or white flour made from them);
Certain vegetables such as beets, asparagus, broccoli, artichokes, carrots,
brussels sprouts, parsnips, spinach, and yams (excluding one-celled
greens);
Mucilaginous herbs like slippery elm;
Several kinds of seaweed such as kelp or dulse;
Legumes such as kidney, lima, pinto, navy and soy beans, chickpeas,
lentils, and peas;
Pectin of some fruits such as apples, pears, prunes and raspberries;
Supplements of concentrated fiber.
Diets deprived of fibre can be corrected by incorporating more of the fiber-rich
foods (such as the ones listed above) into your diet, or by adding fibre
supplements to fiber-poor foods.
Can fibre help with weight loss?
Fibre can be a useful ally on a weight loss plan:
Most dietary fibre does not contain any calories, which means that fibre
rich foods are often lower in calories than foods containing no/small
amount of fibre.
Fibre also takes longer to chew, which automatically slows down your
eating speed. By doing this it gives your brain longer to register feelings
of fullness, so you are less likely to overeat.
Fibre rich foods also act like a sponge and absorb and hold onto water as
it is chewed in the mouth and passes to the stomach. Fibre rich foods will
swell up in the stomach and help you feel full.
Fibre stays in the stomach longer, keeping you full and less likely to want
to snack between meals.
What does the fibre contains?
Some fantastic products exist to boost the amount of soluble and insoluble food
in your diet.
Especially rich in water-soluble mucilage;
Phytonutrients and antioxidants from plant concentrate/herbs to support
the functions of inner organs: immune system, cardiovascular system,
digestive system, liver, kidneys, and pancreas;
Concentrates of the best vegetables: carrot, tomato, beet, kale, and
others;
Low carbohydrates and therefore good for weight loss and glucose
stability;
A completely vegetarian meal;
A food free of dairy, wheat, yeast, and other common allergens; and
Taste enhanced greens with natural flavors.

Regards
A.ANANDAMURALI
PRODUCT ENGINEERING