Fibre
What is Fibre Anyway?
Fibre is the indigestible, bulky matter of plants, which passes through our digestive system relatively unaffected. Doesn’t sound too important huh? Well think of what happens to the toilet system when it gets clogged and needs to be plunged…that’s right! Fibre is our daily plumbing service, and makes sure that our digestive system is kept in top condition for the task of elimination. If the digestive system is not properly eliminating toxins and wastes, these can build up in the body and lead to illnesses from constipation to cancer! And that’s where fibre comes in.
Fibre is the indigestible, bulky matter of plants, which passes through our digestive system relatively unaffected. Doesn’t sound too important huh? Well think of what happens to the toilet system when it gets clogged and needs to be plunged…that’s right! Fibre is our daily plumbing service, and makes sure that our digestive system is kept in top condition for the task of elimination. If the digestive system is not properly eliminating toxins and wastes, these can build up in the body and lead to illnesses from constipation to cancer! And that’s where fibre comes in.
There are two types of fibre we need for healthy digestive function; soluble fibre and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre mainly assists in lowering blood cholesterol levels, and comes in pectin, gum and mucilage forms found mainly in plant cells. Insoluble fibre comes in the form of cellulose, lignin and hemicelluloses and these make up the structural walls of plant cells. They also serve as scouring pads for your intestines, and contribute much of the bulk in faeces, with a good diet.
Where do I get fibre?
Soluble fibre is best obtained from fruits and veggies, as well as pulses, oat bran, psyllium and most soy products. Insoluble fibre is found in oat, wheat and corn bran, the skins of fruit and vegetables (don’t you peel that apple!), wholegrain foods, nuts and seeds. So really there’s no excuse! If you don’t like cereal, don’t despair. Opt for the fibre-rich fruit salad. Or a burger with wholegrain bread. Tomatoes on toast, yeah that’s what I’m talkin’ about.
Major health organizations recommend at least 30g of fibre per day in an adult diet. If you’re not making bowel movements at least once a day, chances are you aren’t getting this quotient. To increase your fibre intake go for multigrain and brown breads and rice, eat breakfast cereals with fruit added, or even just add an extra vegetable to your evening meal.
Excess fibre intake (over 40g a day) can lead to a deficiency in some essential minerals like calcium and zinc, since the excess fibre can bind with these minerals and form insoluble salts which pass through unabsorbed. Fibre is pretty hard to overdo, however, due to its chew-intensive nature.
Warning:Explosive Contents
Don’t be put off by any initial abdominal pain or increased flatulence when you start pumping up the fibre intake. This is just the digestive system responding to the new load, and when the scouring of the intestinal walls begins it can be a little painful. Of course, to avoid this kind of discomfort if you have subsisted on a low fibre diet for some time, gradually add fibre into your diet over a few weeks rather than going hard to start with.
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