Dietary Fibre Helps in Keeping us Alive Longer

Dietary Fibre

(Fibre is the only component in our food that alternate our medicines)

Dietary fibre, commonly known as roughage or bulk, includes parts of plant foods our body can't digest or absorb. Fibre is the most important part of a healthy diet. In category, it is just a type of carbohydrate, but our body can’t digest. I have mentioned about Fibre in my other article named “Carbs aren’t bad but quality matters”.

Most carbohydrates are broken down into sugar molecules but fibre cannot be broken down into sugar molecules. It is only in the last portion of our digestive tract (our large intestine), fibre undergoes a major transformation. When this transformation occurs, it is not brought about by human enzymes or digestive fluids but rather by trillions of bacteria living in our large intestine. That’s why it passes through our body undigested. 

Types of Fibre we Consume

Fibre has anti-inflammatory properties. Fibre classified into two types and both are beneficial to our health. But in order to get full benefit of fibre one has to drink plenty of water, because, fibre works best when it absorbs water. Fibre  commonly classified into:-

Soluble fibre 

These kinds of fibre dissolves in water. Foods with soluble fibre are oatmeal, nuts, beans, lentils, apples and blueberries. Soluble Fibre helps us in a number of ways. I have mentioned some examples below.

Diabetes care: Fibre helps in regulating use of sugars in our body i.e. lowering glucose levels, hence keep our blood sugar in check. As soluble fibre isn’t well absorbed, it doesn't contribute to the blood sugar spikes that can put us at risk for type 2 diabetes.

Soluble Fiber Rich

Heart health: Inside our digestive system, soluble fibre attaches to cholesterol particles and takes them out of the body. So it helps in reducing overall cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease.

Keeps weight in control: Dietary fibre adds bulk to our diet. It makes us feel full faster. Soluble fibre helps us to stay at a healthy weight by keeping us feeling full without adding many calories to our diet.

Aids in Bowl movements: Soluble fibre soaks up water as it passes through our intestines. It aids our digestion and helps bulk up our stool and makes our stools softer and easier to pass. So it act like a guard against constipation and diarrhoea. This is the reason, most of the fibre supplements contain mostly soluble fibre.

Insoluble fibre 

These kinds of fibre does not dissolve in water. These types of fiber also help in moving food through our digestive system. Thus they promotes regularity and helps in preventing constipation. Foods with insoluble fibres are wheat, whole wheat bread, whole grain couscous, brown rice, legumes, vegetables, such as cauliflower, green beans, potatoes, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes. They are found mostly in the seeds and skins of fruit, so always eat the peels. Insoluble Fibre helps us in these ways.

Insoluble Fibre Rich

Helps in Weight loss: Like soluble fibre, insoluble fibre can play a key role in controlling weight by keeping our hunger at bay.

Auxiliary to Digestive health: Eating lots of insoluble fibre keeps us regular. Insoluble fibre improves bowel-related health problems, like constipation, haemorrhoids, and faecal incontinence.

Colon Health: Colon in this context simply means all of our large intestine. Fibre helps in maintaining colon health directly by acting as fuel for the growth of "friendly" bacteria. These bacteria do best when our fibre intake is best, and our colon stays healthiest when these bacterial populations are thriving and in balance.

Recommended dietary allowance

Children and adults need at least 20 to 30 grams of fibre per day for good health. In 2005, the National Academy of Sciences updated its recommendations for fibre intake. Just look at these:

• 0—1 year: Not determined
• 1—3 years: 19 grams
• 4—8 years: 25 grams
• 9—13 years, female: 26 grams
• 9—13 years, male: 31 grams
• 14—18 years, female: 26 grams
• 14—18 years, male: 38 grams
• 19—50 years, female: 25 grams
• 19—50 years, male: 38 grams
• 51+ years, female: 21 grams
• 51+ years, male: 30 years
• Pregnant women: 28 grams
• Lactating women: 29 grams

From which food sources we can get fibre?

Fibre Rich Foods

Most plant-based foods contain both insoluble and soluble fibre, such as oatmeal and beans but are usually richer in one type than the other. To receive the greatest health benefit, we have to eat a wide variety of high-fibre foods. Great sources of fibre are whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes and nuts. Mushrooms are exclusive whole, natural food sources of fibre. Refined or processed foods, such as canned fruits and vegetables, pulp-free juices, white breads and pastas, and non-whole-grain cereals are low in fibre. 

How can we increase our fibre intake?

• We have to always eat whole fruits instead of drinking its juices.
• We have to replace white rice, bread, and pasta with brown rice and whole grain products.
• We must take cereals that have a whole grain as their first ingredient in breakfast.
• We must Substitute whole-grain flour for half or all of the white flour at the time of baking. 
• We have to try adding crushed bran cereal, unprocessed wheat bran or uncooked oatmeal to muffins, cakes and cookies.
• We must add snacks on raw vegetables instead of chips, crackers, or chocolate bars.
• We can also substitute beans or legumes with meat in chilli and soups.
• As fruits and vegetables are rich in fibre, as well as vitamins and minerals, we have to eat five or more servings daily.

What if we have more fibre intake?

• Eating a large amount of fibre in a short period of time can cause intestinal gas (flatulence), bloating, and abdominal cramps.

  

  Symptoms of too much Fiber

   
• This problem often goes away once the natural bacteria in the digestive system get used to the increase in fibre. 
• Too much fibre may interfere with the absorption of minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. 
• In most cases, this is not a cause for too much concern because high-fibre foods tend to be rich in minerals.
• Add fibre gradually over a period of a few weeks to avoid stomach distress. 
• As water helps fibre in passing through the digestive system, we have to drink plenty of fluids (about 8 glasses of water or noncaloric fluid per day).

High Fibre helps in Combating Death and Diseases: A study

A recent study of almost 400,000 people aged 50 to 71 has found a strong link between a high-fibre diet and a longer life. Specifically, people who ate a diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables (adding up to 29 grams of fibre per day for men, 26 grams for women) were 22% less likely to die after nine years than those who ate the least fibre (13 and 11 grams per day). Those in the high-fibre group were less likely to die of cardiovascular disease, infectious disease and respiratory disease. A high-fibre diet was also associated with fewer cancer deaths in men, though not in women. The lower death rates were associated with dietary fibre from whole grains. People who ate more fibre were generally healthier and more physically active.