Megan Pentz-Kluyts RD (SA)


Most of us spend our childhoods coming up with creative ways of avoiding fibrous foods such as bran, veggies, and the ever popular brussel sprouts; however, the irony is that in our adult lives we cannot seem to find enough ways to make fibre part of our daily nutrition. In fact, 80% of people don't eat enough fibre, a trend that often starts in childhood and carries through to our adult life.

What is fibre?

Fibre is a substance in plants. Dietary fibre is the kind you eat - often referred to as roughage. There are no kilojoules, vitamins or minerals in fibre and it is not digested when we eat it. The fact that it passes through the body without being absorbed is the main reason why fibre is so important.

Fibre can be divided into two groups - insoluble and soluble. Both groups help keep the body healthy in a different way.

Insoluble fibre, works by absorbing water making the stools larger, softer and easier to pass. Sometimes referred to as 'nature's broom', insoluble fibre also speeds the passage of waste material through the body. Found in wholegrain breads and cereals, fruit, vegetables and legumes*

Soluble fibre helps lower high blood cholesterol levels and slows the absorption of sugar and keeping blood sugar levels. Found in oats and oat bran, legumes* and some fruit and vegetables.

UPDATE

The April 2008 edition of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that children who followed a low fibre, high energy and fat diet were prone to greater fat and weight gain.

*Examples include: kidney shaped beans, lentils, chickpeas

How much fibre do I need?

For children older than 2 years of age an amount equal to their age plus 5g per day is recommended, e.g. an 8-year-old will need 13g of fibre/day.

Recommendations for adult dietary fibre intake generally fall in the range of 20 to 35g/day, according to the American Dietetic Association. Sadly most Western populations don't get anywhere near this amount, due to the increasing intake of over-processed convenience foods.

Where can I get fibre?

Unrefined grains are all rich in fibre. Examples of these include whole-wheat pastas, whole-wheat breads, brown rice, rye, oats and oat bran. Fruits, vegetables, seeds and legumes are also chock-full of fibre. Thus, eating a variety of these types of foods is essential for gaining adequate fibre as well as other important nutrients.

Is there a simple way to tell if a food is a good source of fibre?

Looking at food labels is one of the easiest ways to identify whether or not a food contains a little or a lot of fibre.

  
CHECK FOOD LABELS PER 100G OF PRODUCT
SOURCE OF FIBRE 3G (FOR SOLIDS) OR 1.5G (FOR LIQUIDS)
HIGH IN FIBRE 6G (FOR SOLIDS) OR 3G (FOR LIQUIDS)


Why do I need fibre?

Fibre moves along into the large intestine of the body where it is partially or completely fermented by gut bacteria - producing short chain fatty acids and gases. It is this process that contributes the beneficial effects of dietary fibre on health. This 'miracle' nutrient has been shown to have a wide range of health advantages. It helps digestion and helps prevent constipation. High in fibre foods can help in the treatment of constipation, haemorrhoids and spastic colon. Dietary fibre may also help lower your cholesterol, and reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.

√ Watching your weight

Fibre, does not convert to sugar, and therefore does not raise your blood-sugar level the way carbohydrates typically do. In fact, fibre actually slows the entry of sugar into the bloodstream. And by slowing down foods transit time in the digestive tract, fibre helps you feel full longer, resulting in fewer food cravings.

People eating high fibre diets tend to be slimmer than those eating lower fibre diets. High-fibre diets can help weight loss by adding bulk to the diet without increasing the kilojoule content, helping to reduce hunger.

√ Keeping you regular

Fibre helps a great deal in preventing constipation, by keeping our bowel movements going smoothly and moving the waste products rapidly through the colon. This effect is enhanced if fibre intake is paralleled by an increase in fluid intake. Recent research has shown that if people with low fibre diets double their intake of fibre the risk of colon cancer falls by 40%.

√ Energy ... for longer

High glycemic index (GI) foods, such as fast and processed foods, are rapidly digested and cause sharp spikes in our bloodsugar levels. This can damage our health and also contribute to weight gain, as one will soon be hungry and low on energy. Conversely, low-GI foods are slowly digested, causing a gradual and sustained increase in our blood-sugar levels.

√ Living better for longer

Fibre can help reduce the risk of heart disease through cholesterol-reduction. People with higher fibre intakes have been shown to be 29% less likely to get heart disease than those with lower fibre intakes.
High fibre diets also help to prevent Type 2 diabetes (people with higher fibre intakes are 64% less likely to develop diabetes) and they iimprove blood-sugar control for people with diabetes.

TIP
Add fibre gradually to your diet,with fluid intake. Increasing dietary fibre too quickly may lead to gas, bloating and cramps.