FibreFit: An Essential Part of a Healthy Diet

"Eat more fibre." You have probably heard it before. But do you know why fibre is so good for your health? Dietary fibre comes from the portion of plants that is not digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract. The soluble part of it, however, may be metabolised by bacteria in the lower gut. Dietary fibre, found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, is essential for good digestive health and also has a number of other known health benefits such as lowering your risk of diabetes and heart disease. There are two types of dietary fibre that are important for good health, these are:

Soluble fibre: This type of fibre dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. There is some evidence that soluble fibre may lessen heart disease risks by reducing the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. You can find a percentage of soluble fibre in whole oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium.

Insoluble fibre: This type of fibre promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk, so it can be of benefit to those who struggle with constipation or irregular stools. Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts and many vegetables are good sources of insoluble fibre.

Both types of fibre are beneficial to the body and most plant foods contain a mixture of both types.

How much fibre do you need? Through extensive research, scientists have determined that an average person should consume approximately 25-38 grams of fibre per day (or 10-13 grams per 1,000 calories), of which at least 5-10 grams should be soluble fibre. In the world of overly processed and overly packaged food, chances are that you are not getting the amount of fibre you need in your diet. Most people are receiving only half the recommended daily intake of fibre and this could be an important contributing cause for many diseases and problems with obesity.

The benefits of a diet high in fibre are plentiful, and include: