We often hear people saying ‘eat fibre’, but what is fibre, what foods contain fibre and in what quantity should we eat fibre are questions that need to be answered. The word fibre comes from a Latin word fibra meaning, elongated thread-like structure. Fibre are found in plants where they provide basic strength, toughness and support to the structure of plant.

Fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamins and minerals are also rich in fibre. There are two kinds of fibre: a) soluble fibre which can be dissolved in water and b) insoluble fibre which cannot be disolved. Dietary fibre means “Substances in the diets which are not digested in the stomach and intestine”.

Cellulose, Dextrin, Inulin (don’t confuse it with insulin), Lignin, Chitin, Pectin (jelly), Glucan and Waxes. Any one or some of these are always found in fruit and vegetables. Fibres help push food through our digestive system, absorbing water along the way, and thus easing bowel movement.

The function of both soluble and insoluble fibre is almost the same: water soluble fibre passes through the digestive tract, unchanged until it reaches the large intestine. It ferments due to intestinal bacteria (the growth of which it promotes) and becomes gelatinous which eases and prevents constipation. This process also helps to speed up excretion, preventing waste and toxins from sticking to the walls of the intestine or bowel.

A little fibre in your diet can make things go a lot more smoothly

For a good fibre intake, you should eat:

• Leafy vegetables, root vegetables such as unpeeled potato

• Unpeeled fruits such as apple and guava

• Whole meat products

• Nuts, seeds of melon, water melon and pumpkin

• Cereal, barley, oatmeal

• Brown rice, lentils, peas, beans, etc.

• All seasonal fruits and vegetables

Following is the list of quantity of fibre contents in fresh and dry fruits, vegetables, etc. (Source: commonsensehealth.com). It would help you to choose one of your favourite to avoid any health complications; for an optimum health about 60-80 gram of fibre is required per day in Pakistan. Eating high fibre food also helps in reducing high cholesterol, high blood sugar, obesity, colorectal-cancer, diabetes and heart diseases.

qudrat<qudrat_e_khuda@yahoo.com

Fruits

Apple with skin 1 medium 5.00 gm Apricot 3 medium 0.98 gm Apricot (dried) 5 pieces 2.89 gm
Banana 1 medium 3.92 gm Figs (dried) 1 medium 3.74 gm
Grape fruit 1 medium 12.00 gm Orange 1 medium 3.40 gm
Peach 1 medium 2.00 gm Pear 1 medium 5.00 gm
Plum 1 medium 1.00 gm Raisins 35 gram(1.5 oz) 1.60 gm Raspberries 28 gram(1.0 oz) 8.34 gm Strawberries 28 gram(1.0 oz) 3.98 gm

Vegetables

Beet (cooked) 1 cup 2.85gm Cabbage 1 cup 4.20gm
Carrot 1 medium 2.00gm Cauliflower 1 cup 3.43gm
Corn sweet 1 cup 4.66gm
Beans 1 cup 3.95gm Onions (raw) 1 cup 2.88gm
Peas (cooked) 1 cup 8.84gm
Pop corn 1 cup 3.60gm Potato 1 medium with skin 4.80gm Spinach cooked 1 cup 4.32gm
Tomato 1 medium 1.00gm Rice (brown) dry 1 cup 7.98gm

Peas, Nuts, Seeds & Beans

Almonds 28 gram 4.22 gm Bran cereal 1 cup 19.94 gm Bread wheat 1 slice 2.00 gm Peanuts 28 gram 2.30 gm Pistachio 28 gram 3.10 gm
Pumpkins 28 gram 4.12 gm Soybeans 28 gram 7.62 gm
Walnuts 28 gram 3.08 gm

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, August 30th, 2015

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