FIBRE

• Dietary fibre is a diverse group of carbohydrate found almost exclusively in plants, including non-starch polysaccharides such as cellulose, pectin and lignin.
• Unlike other types of carbohydrate, these are not absorbed in the small intestine to provide energy.
• Some fibre can be fermented in the large intestine by gut bacteria, producing short chain fatty acids, supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria and suppressing harmful bacteria in the gut.
• Dietary fibre provides 2kcal/8kJ per gram on average.
• The components of dietary fibre are found in different proportions in fibre containing foods and have different properties.
• It is important to eat a range of fibre containing foods.
• Sources of fibre include wholegrain cereals and cereal products, vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, lentils, potatoes.
• The recommended average intake for dietary fibre is 30g per day for adults.
• Children need proportionately less.
• Current adult intake is around 19g per day on average, less than the recommended levels for a 5 year old.
• Soluble fibres, such as pectin and gum, are water-soluble fibers found inside plant cells.
• Soluble fibres absorb water and mix the food into a gel-like material, slowing the emptying of the stomach and the movement of the food mass through the intestines.
• Insoluble fibres, such as cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin, are present in cell walls and pass through the digestive system largely unchanged.
• Insoluble fibres increase fecal bulk and speed up the passage of food through the digestive tract.
• Wheat bran and whole grains are the most insoluble fiber-vegetables and beans are good sources of insoluble fiber.
• Fiber binds water, making stools softer and bulkier, and is helpful in the treatment and prevention of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis.
• Low blood cholesterol levels (below 200 mg/dl.) have been associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease.
• The body eliminates cholesterol through the excretion of bile acids, and water-soluble fiber binds bile acids, hence a high-fiber diet may result in an increased excretion of cholesterol.
• Dietary fiber may help reduce the risk of some cancers, especially colon cancer, based on information that insoluble fiber increases the rate at which wastes are removed from the body.
• Fiber itself has no calories, yet provides a "full" feeling because of its water-absorbing ability, for example, an apple is more filling than a half cup of apple juice that contains about the same calories.
• Foods high in fiber often require more chewing, so a person is unable to eat a large number of calories in a short amount of time.