Fibre: The dietary workhorse

Jan 08, 2017 Dr Zulfikar Bux

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By Dr Zulfikar Bux

Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine

I have put on some weight over the past year and like most people, I am looking for the easy way

out – losing weight without much exercise. It is obvious that exercise plays an important role in weight loss, but the most important factor is obviously our diet.

We would not gain weight if we didn’t eat. But we need to eat to survive. I therefore had set out on extensively researching the easy way to lose weight, since I have gotten a bit tired these days and routine exercise is not as lucrative as it was in the past.

What I found interesting was that all weight loss and healthy eating guidelines had one thing in common – eating a fibre-rich diet. While we are all told to eat a high fibre diet, we are often not sure why, and it’s difficult to comply when you do not understand the facts. I will therefore share some important facts about fibre and why it has become my number one dietary priority.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FIBRE

Fibre is a form of indigestible carbohydrate found mainly in plant foods. Over the years, fibre has been hailed as a potential weapon against cancer, high cholesterol, and heart disease. It is known that fibre slightly reduces LDL cholesterol, improves insulin resistance, and is linked to a lower rate of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

There’s also some evidence that fibre might reduce the risk for duodenal ulcers, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer. It’s considered one of the most important health attributes of foods. Fibre slows digestion and therefore lowers a food’s glycemic load, which likely helps to prevent diabetes. By increasing the bulk of foods and creating a feeling of fullness, fibre may also help you avoid overeating and becoming overweight.

You can probably identify some high-fibre foods, such as bran cereals and whole-grain bread. But not all foods billed as “high-fibre” really have much; read the labels on packaged foods to see the number of grams of fibre they contain. You can be sure of getting fibre if you eat fruits, legumes, vegetables, and whole-grain foods such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice, bran, or oats each day.

Fibre can also take the form of over-the-counter supplements, which come as pills or powders. These provide some of the same benefits as fibre in foods. But foods naturally high in fibre have the edge, as they help you feel full on fewer calories, which can help keep your weight in check. Fibre pills don’t provide that feeling of fullness. If you decide to take fibre supplements, be sure to take them with plenty of water to maximize their benefits.

 

OTHER IMPORTANT HEALTH BENEFITS OF FIBRE 

Blood sugar control: Soluble fibre may help to slow your body’s breakdown of carbohydrates and the absorption of sugar, helping with blood sugar control.

Heart health: An inverse association has been found between fibre intake and heart attack, and research shows that those eating a high-fibre diet have a 40 percent lower risk of heart disease.

Stroke: Researchers have found that for every seven-grams more fibre you consume on a daily basis, your stroke risk is decreased by 7 percent.

Skin health: Fibre, particularly psyllium husk, may help move yeast and fungus out of your body, preventing them from being excreted through your skin where they could trigger acne or rashes.

Diverticulitis: Dietary fibre (especially insoluble) may reduce your risk of diverticulitis – an inflammation of polyps in your intestine – by 40 percent.

Hemorrhoids: A high-fibre diet may lower your risk of hemorrhoids (piles).

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Fibre may provide some relief from IBS.

Gallstones and kidney stones: A high-fibre diet may reduce the risk of gallstones and kidney stones, likely because of its ability to help regulate blood sugar.

 

EXAMPLES THAT WILL ENSURE YOU MEET YOUR DAILY FIBRE REQUIREMENTS 

Eat whole-grain cereal for breakfast. Oats are an excellent choice, particularly steel-cut oats, which have the most fibre and the lowest glycemic index. If you prefer cold cereal, choose products that contain bran or list whole wheat, oats, barley, or another whole grain first on the list of ingredients.

Choose whole-grain breads. As with cereals, true whole-grain breads list a whole grain first in the ingredients. Whole-grain sliced bread, pita bread, and rolls are equally good.

Skip the French fries and baked potatoes. Instead of white potatoes, eat sweet potatoes (yams, etc.). Instead of white rice, eat brown rice or another intact grain as a side dish. Good choices are buckwheat (kasha), bulgur, millet, quinoa, and barley.

Try whole-wheat pizza and pasta. Prepared pizzas made with whole-wheat crust are joining whole-wheat pastas on supermarket shelves. Many are now made with a variety of flour or flour blends that look white and cook up lighter, but are actually whole wheat.

Cook with whole-wheat flour. You can make breads, muffins, and other home-baked goods healthier if you mix whole-wheat flour with white flour.

Eat your fruits and vegetables. It is recommended that you take 1-2 cups of fruits and 2-3 cups of vegetables per day. In addition to being fibre-rich, fruits and vegetables are nutrient-rich and their daily use can prevent the need for daily multivitamin supplements.

Let’s make a stronger effort to get more fibre in our diet. Now that I am finished with this article, I will share it with my wife so that we can plan together. You should also do your part to spread the word about fibre.

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