The Fibre of Life – by Dr Sanien de Beer
FIBRE is one of the watchwords of healthy eating, and every dietician and nutritionist
seems to agree on one thing: we are not getting enough of it. Especially with the
popular “Banting diet” and diets high in protein and fat, it is more and more
challenging to consume sufficient fibre on a daily basis.
The fibre content of food is also often overlooked, even by those who meticulously
count calories. The more we discover about the role the gut plays in overall well being,
the more we are realizing the importance of eating a diet rich in both soluble and
insoluble fibre.The fact is, most people do not eat enough of either type of fibre.
According to the British Nutrition Foundation, Physicians and other health experts,
it is recommended to eat between 25 and 35 grams of fibre per day.Currently the
average daily intake of fibre, unfortunately, is about 15 grams per day. The average
daily intake in Britain and America is only 10 – 12 grams per day.
But why is fibre so important?
What is the difference between different types of fibre?
And what do we need to eat to get what our bodies require?
In the most simplistic sense, soluble fibre dissolves in water. Insoluble fibre does not.
But how these fibres break down (or don’t break down) inside the body differ,
and each produce different health benefits.Insoluble fibres prevent constipation and
form the basis of soft, bulky stools. Fibre also performs the valuable function of keeping
the colon clean, and absorbing waste products from the body such as cholesterol
and hormones which is no longer needed. Whole grain foods, dark leafy vegetables,
fruit, nuts and seeds all contain insoluble fibre.Foods abundant in soluble fibre
include onions, bananas, oats and oatmeal, apples, strawberries and certain
vegetables. These foods help the healthy bacteria that live in the lower gut to
reproduce. Because the body does not digest soluble fibre, its function is to feed
the good bacteria in the colon - and unless you feed those good bacteria, they are
not going to multiply. The production of disease-causing bacteria is inhibited if there
is an abundance of beneficial bacteria.
Many people do not take in adequate fibre because the western diet is too rich in
refined foods such as white bread, cereals and crackers - which have very little
nutritional benefit.That means we lose out on the goodness of fibre - found in foods
like fruit, vegetables, pulses, wholemeal bread, and brown rice. Over time, a lack of
fibre can lead to conditions such as constipation, irritable bowel syndrome,
diverticular disease and even colon cancer.So how could you have a fibre-rich day?
The following suggestions may be helpful.
- Breakfast: Muesli or granola with no added sugar, topped with fruit such as apple banana, pear and a handful of berries. Mix with fruit juice instead of milk.
- Mid-morning snack: A handful of nuts and seeds.
- Lunch: In winter - a vegetable soup. In summer, a multi-coloured salad with more nuts and seeds, and a portion of protein e.g. a piece of chicken or fish or eggs.
- Mid-afternoon snack: Piece of fruit. Nuts and raisins.
- Dinner: A piece of protein with brown rice or potatoes, and a good variety of vegetables. Pulses, such as lentils or beans, are also very rich in fibre.
How many grams?
It CAN be difficult to know how much fibre we are actually managing to get into our diet.
An indication to how much fibre in common foods include:
- One apple - 3g
- One cup of cooked brown rice – 3.5 gram
- One cup of cooked white rice – 1.2 gram
- A portion of boiled, wholemeal spaghetti - 5.7g
- One slice of wholemeal bread - 1.9g
- One cup of cooked lentils - 7.5g
- One orange - 2.7g
- One cup of wheat bix – 6.7g
- One medium Banana 4 g
- One cup broccoli 5.5 g
- One Bran muffin 2.9 g
- One cup of muesli/granola 8.5 g
- One cup of boiled potatoes 4.2 g
Most foods do not contain the high fibre numbers one might expect – as a result,
getting enough fibre through dietary means, takes genuine commitment.
Because most people do not eat enough fibre, there is a robust market for fibre-rich
foods (such as bran cereals) as well as fibre-rich supplements. It is often said that the
box of the cereal can contain more fibre than the cereal itself…so please read the
ingredient list. However fibre supplements do not replace the intake of fibre from
a well balanced diet. Foods rich in fibre are more often than not, also rich in
anti oxidants which help to support a healthy immune system.
When looking at fibre from a perspective of health – it can indeed be called “Fibre of life”.
