Fibre; “Fibre is a complex carbohydrate (type of sugar) but unlike other carbohydrates, which are broken down by the body to provide fuel in the form of glucose, fibre cannot be digested by the human body.”
Types of fibre in food;
There are two categories of fibre which we need to eat in our daily diet, these are:
Soluble fibre ,which includes pectins, gums and mucilage, which are found mainly in plant cells. One of its major roles is to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.. Soluble fibre can also help in constipation.
Foods that contain soluble fibre include:
● oats, barley and rye
● fruit, such as bananas and apples
● root vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes
● golden linseeds
● soy milk
● dried beans,
● lentils, peas
Insoluble fibre ,includes cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin, which make up the structural parts of plant cell walls. A major role of insoluble fibre is to add bulk to faeces and to prevent constipation and associated problems such as hemorrhoids.
Good sources of fibre include
● wheat bran,
● corn bran,
● rice bran,
● the skins of fruits and vegetables,
● nuts, seeds,
● dried beans and
● wholegrain foods.
Both types of fibre are beneficial to the body and most plant foods contain a mixture of both types.
Benefits of Fibre;
● High Fibre diet decreases chances of Diabetes, Coronary Heart disease and Bowel Cancer.
● It decreases chances of IBS, diverticulitis, some cancers and hemorrhoids.
● Fibre keeps digestive track healthy.
● It helps in lowering blood cholesterol.
● Fibre helps in weight control.
● Fibre helps in aged patient as digestive system slows down with age.
Daily dose of Fibre;
Children 4yr-8yrs 18 grams per day
Girls 9yr-13yr 20grams
14yr-18yr 22 grams
Boys 9yr-13yr 24 grams
14yr-18yr 28 grams
Ways to increase your fibre intake;
● Eat breakfast cereals that contain barley, wheat or oats.
● Switch to wholemeal or multigrain bread and brown rice.
● Add an extra vegetable to every evening meal.
● Fruit Snack, dried fruit, nuts or wholemeal crackers.
Sources of Fibre Fibre (g) Kilojoules (kJ)
1 cup puffed rice cereal {Fibre 0.4g} {Kilojoules 444kJ}
4 slices white bread 3.0 1166
1 tablespoon peanut butter 2.7 610
1 piece of fruit (apple) 1.7 268
1/2 cup canned fruit, undrained 1.4 468
1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables 4.3 102
Mashed potato 120 g 1.7 336
1 cup white cooked rice 1.0 999
2 plain dry biscuits 0.4 150
1 slice plain cake 60 g 0.6 643
1 cup commercial fruit juice 0.8 391
2 wholewheat cereal biscuits
(ex Weetbix or Vita Brits) 3.2 398
4 slices wholegrain bread 5.7 1085
1 tablespoon peanut butter 2.7 610
2 pieces of fruit (apple & pear) 4.9 515
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables 8.6 203
1 small boiled potato with skin 2.8 338
1 cup white cooked spaghetti 2.5 696
2 wholemeal dry biscuits 1.5 209
25 almonds 3.0 852
1 cup whole fruit juice 0.5 362
Sources (Common) of Fibre;
● Bananas (Approximate fiber per serving: 3.1 grams)
● Beans (Approximate fiber per serving: 13 grams)
● Carrots (Approximate fiber per serving: 1.8 grams)
● Spinach (Approximate fiber per serving: 4 grams)
● Oatmeal (Approximate fiber per serving: 4 grams)
● Peas (Approximate fiber per serving: 8.6 grams)
● Sweet Potatoes (Approximate fiber per serving: 6.6 grams)
● Wholegrain Pasta(Approximate fiber per serving: 6 grams)
Issued in public interest
