How dietary fibre relieves constipation and aids longevity; which Indian foods have high-fibre content?

KEY STORY

• If we are asked what’s our favourite food, most of us would think of soft and creamy ice creams or calorie-rich pastries, pasta, doughnuts etc. Very few, if any, will say oats, Dalia, chia seeds, turnip etc. which are high fibre foods that help us fight the bloat, relieve us of constipations, and help fight obesity.

  What is dietary fibre?

• Dietary fibre helps us maintain a healthy weight while lowering our risk of diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. Dietary fibre is also called roughage or bulk. This is the part of the plant foods that we ingest but cannot pull into the bloodstream fully. We can’t digest it wholly or absorb it and so must allow it to pass through the digestive tract to eliminate it as a part of our bowel movement. Other food components, such as fats, proteins or carbohydrates get broken down by our body and absorbed into the bloodstream and from there to the entire body. The fibre that we cannot digest passes relatively intact through your stomach, small intestine and colon and gets eliminated from the body.

There are two types of dietary fibres:
Soluble fibre: The soluble fibre in our food dissolves in the water and forms a gel-like substance that helps keep blood cholesterol and glucose levels in check. Oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium etc contain soluble fibre.
Insoluble fibre: This is the kind that does not fully dissolve in the water though it does absorb water to gain weight and bulk. In the process, it promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk. No wonder then that when you include some of this kind of fibre in your diet, stool movement is relatively easy and one does not have to struggle with constipation or irregular stools. You can find insoluble fibre in whole-wheat flour (do not remove the chokar or bran from the atta), wheat bran, dalia, sooji, nuts, beans and vegetables, such as cauliflower, green beans, turnips, and potatoes, are good sources of insoluble fibre.

According to experts at Mayo Clinic, US, adding high fibre food items to your diet has several benefits:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983

1. Bowel movements become smoother: AS the dietary fibre adds to the weight and size of your stool and softens it, it becomes easy for the intestines to pass it out. That means goodbye to constipation. But it also helps when one suffers from loose motions. Fibre may help to solidify the stool because it absorbs water and adds bulk to the stools.

2. Helps maintain bowel health: A high-fibre diet is seen to have reduced the chances of developing colorectal cancer.

3. Lowers cholesterol levels: Adding beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran helps the body gain some soluble fibre. This fibre helps lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein, or “bad,” cholesterol levels. By reducing blood pressure and inflammation, soluble fibre also adds to our heart health.

4. Helps control blood sugar levels: In people with diabetes, fibre — particularly soluble fibre — can slow the absorption of sugar and help improve blood sugar levels. A healthy diet that includes insoluble fibre may also reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, informs the Mayo Clinic.

5. Helps fight flab, maintain good weight: Since one feels full and satiated after having fibre-rich food, it is quite a while before one feels hungry as the digestion process is prolonged. After eating the filling high fibre foods, one ends up eating relatively lesser food. That’s a plus for those trying weight loss.

6. Add to our longevity: Fibre intake — especially cereal fibre — is associated with a reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and all cancers, mentions the Mayo Clinic article.

7. Make sure you have planned lots of fibre-rich foods for your week ahead.  Do add whole-grain products, fruits, vegetables, beans, peas and other legumes, as well as nuts and seeds to your shopping list.

• Lessen or avoid refined or processed foods — such as canned fruits and vegetables, pulp-free juices, white bread and pasta, and non-whole-grain cereals — which are low in fibre.

• As per the Mayo Clinic report, the reason for that is “The grain-refining process removes the outer coat (bran) from the grain, which lowers its fibre content.

• And finally, do not forget to drink plenty of water as fibre works best when it absorbs water.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a professional healthcare provider if you have any specific questions about any medical matter.