*** ----> Role of dietary fibre | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Role of dietary fibre

Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that the body can’t digest. Though majority carbohydrates are broken down into sugar molecules, fibre cannot be broken down into sugar molecules, and instead it passes through the body undigested. Fibre helps regulate the body’s use of sugars, helping to keep hunger and blood sugar in check.

Fibre, of course, helps move the digestive process along, but high fibre foods also provide the sensation of fullness, so they help with hunger control. Certain fibres also support the growth of friendly bacteria in your digestive tract.

If you don’t eat as much fibre as you should, it’s best to gradually increase the amount you eat gradually over a few weeks. Adding too much fibre to the diet in a short period of time might lead to abdominal discomfort, so take it slowly to allow your system time to adjust. Also, drink plenty of liquid to allow the fibre to soften and swell.

Types of fibre

• Soluble fibre:

Soluble fibre, which dissolves in water, can help lower glucose and blood cholesterol levels. Soluble fibres are found in the highest concentration in apples, oranges, carrots, potatoes, oats, barley and beans. When these fibres come in contact with the liquid in your stomach, they swell up and thicken, which is why you feel full. They also slow the absorption of glucose (sugar) from the blood stream and so it can help to keep blood sugar levels more even throughout the day.

• Insoluble fibre:

Insoluble fibres don’t dissolve in water – instead, they simply absorb water in the lower tract, which makes the fibre more bulky. This type of fibre, found in the highest concentrations in vegetables, wheat bran, corn bran, rice bran and most other whole grains, speeds the passage of waste through your digestive system, so it helps to keep you regular. The best sources of fibre are whole grain foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and nuts. 

• Resistant Starch

Beans, bananas and oats are the major sources of these ‘resistant starches’ that deliver some of properties of both soluble and insoluble fibres. Since resistant starch doesn’t break down, it traps water, adds bulk and helps with regularity – much like insoluble fibre. It also offers up a feast to the healthy bacteria that live in your lower intestine, and it may also help blunt rapid rises in blood sugar, much like water-soluble fibres.

Fibre reduces the risk of developing various conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, diverticular disease, and constipation.

Heart disease
High intake of dietary fibre has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease in many studies.
Higher fibre intake has also been linked to a lower risk of metabolic syndrome, a combination of factors that increases the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. 

Type 2 diabetes
Diets low in fibre may increase the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. Both Harvard studies—of female nurses and of male health professionals— found that this type of diet more than doubled the risk of type 2 diabetes when compared to a diet high in cereal fibre and low in high-glycemic-index foods.

Constipation

Constipation is the most common gastrointestinal complaint in the United States, and consumption of fibre seems to relieve and prevent constipation. The fibre in wheat bran and oat bran is considered more effective than fibre from fruits and vegetables.

Tips to increase fibre intake

• Eat whole fruits with skin more often than fruit juices
• Use whole fruit as a dessert
• Eat a variety of whole
vegetables – cooked and raw – and eat them freely
• Use 100 per cent whole grain breads, waffles, cereals, rolls, English muffins and crackers instead of those made with refined white flour
• Use corn tortillas rather than flour
• Use brown rice, wild rice, millet, barley, and cracked wheat as alternatives to white rice.

Fibre needs are based on calorie consumption. For example, an active teenager who eats 2,500 calories per day should eat about 35 grams of fibre daily. A 10 year-old consuming 1,700 calories per day needs somewhat less fibre—about 24 grams.