Interesting dietary fibres

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By Dr.Khushnood

According to United States National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, an adult should eat up 20-35 grams of dietary fiber per day, but on an average Americans take only 12-18 grams per day. In a study of 35,000 women over seven years it was observed that those with the highest fibre intake of 30 grams a day had a 50 per cent lower incidence of breast cancer than those eating 20 grams a day. This outcome was only seen in pre-menopausal women up to the age of about 50.The American Dietician Association's recommendation for children is that intake should equal age in years plus 5 g/day.Fiber is ample in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts.

Here are a few interesting and useful findings on dietary fibres:

1. In a recent research on pectin it has been suggested that the fibre (pectin) inhibits a cancer-causing protein called Gal3.Apple is a good source of pectin.

2. Some of the many benefits of dietary fibres include weight control, a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes and, of course, relief from constipation and other bowel ailments.

3. “It was dogma that small seeds and roughage could cause diverticulitis, that they would get into diverticula and plug them,” says gastroenterologist Martin Floch of Yale University. "This paper is terrific [because] it helps to get that out of the common dogma.” While the precise cause of diverticula formation remains unclear, Floch says, fiber certainly helps to prevent it. "Everybody should be on a high-fiber diet," he says.

4. Fiber does not bind to minerals and vitamins and therefore does not restrict their absorption, but rather evidence exists that fermentable fiber sources improve absorption of minerals, especially calcium. It is phytate in some foods which is the culprit and not fibres.

5. A dietary study has claimed that people who consume a high fibre diet are gladder, less lethargic and process thought faster.

6. If you are adding higher-fiber foods to your diet, incorporate them slowly to allow your body time to adjust to the increase. Chew more slowly to break down the fiber compounds, making digestion easier. (American Dietetic Association)

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