Dietary Fibre and Your Body Dietary fibre, or fibre, is the part of food that cannot be digested by our bodies. Therefore, there is a misconception that fibre is just food remains, while in fact, both water-soluble and water-insoluble fibre, found in different types of food, serve different functions in the body. The health benefits of dietary fibre Intake of adequate amount of foods with a high fibre content helps in the prevention of diseases and chronic body imbalances. Prevention and relief of constipation Fibre increases the bulk of stool and stimulates motion of the large intestine. It absorbs water, lubricates the large intestine and makes defecation easier. Digestion and absorption Fibre stimulates the secretion of digestive fluids and the action of "good" bacteria in the intestine, hence, stimulating the formation of vitamin B2. Protection against cancer of the large intestine Fibre prevents the accumulation of cancer-causing (or carcinogenic) materials because it shortens the retention period of waste materials. Weight-control As fibre absorbs large amount of water, it expands in volume and gives a sensation of fullness. Moreover, more time is required for chewing high-fibre foods, hence less food would be consumed. Stabilization of blood sugar level and control of diabetes Fibre can slow down the body's absorption of sugar. Lowering of blood cholesterol level, hence prevention of heart disease Water-soluble fibre combines with cholesterol and then excretes it. Foods with a high fibre content Only foods of plant origin contain fibre. Examples include: Cereals - wholemeal bread, red rice, oatmeal Vegetables - kale, watercress, spinach Root vegetables - potato, sweet potato Beans - mung bean, kidney bean, black-eye bean, red bean Fungi - straw mushroom, button mushroom, white fungus, black fungus, Fruits - orange, grapefruit, prune Others- sesame, chestnut, cashew nut, peanut Daily fibre requirement Adults need 20-30g of fibre everyday while children need less. Add 5 to a child's age to calculate the amount of fibre needed per day (Age + 5 = grams of fibre required per day). For example, an 8-year-old child would need 13g of fibre per day. Essential facts There is no fibre in fish, meat, shrimps, eggs and milk. Obtain fibre from food rather than fibre tablets, powder or other supplements. Consume different types of fibre-rich foods because fibre from different food serve different functions. Increase fibre intake gradually to avoid gastrointestinal upset from sudden intake of large amounts of fibre. Too much fibre would lead to malnutrition and decreased absorption of minerals. Take fruits and vegetables together with the skin, like unpeeled plums, grapes. Fresh fruit is better than fruit juice because most of the fibre in fruit is damaged when it is squeezed to make juice. Fibre absorbs a lot of water. For fibre to function effectively, a daily intake of 6-8 glasses of fluid is required. Although fibre is important to health, we should not neglect other food types. A balanced diet and regular exercise are of utmost importance to good health. Fibre content in different types of food Food type and amount fibre content (g) Cereals White rice (uncooked) White rice (cooked) Brown rice (uncooked) Brown rice (cooked) Wholemeal bread Wholemeal cereals Cornflakes Oatmeal (uncooked) Oatmeal (cooked) 90g 200g 60g 220g 50g 28g 28g 40g 220g 1 1 2 2 3.5 9 1 4 4 Fruits/dried fruits Apple (with skin) Orange (peeled and seedless) Banana (peeled) Dried prune (seedless) Raisin (seedless) Fig Dates (seedless) 140g 130g 115g 50g 50g 50g 50g 3 3 2 4.7 3.1 5.6 4.2 Vegetables Broccoli (cooked) Kale (cooked) Watercress (cooked) Lettuce (raw) Onion (raw) Tomato (raw) Carrot (cooked) Corn (cooked) Green pea (cooked) Potatoes (cooked) Sweet potato (cooked) 100g 100g 100g 100g 100g 100g 100g 100g 100g 100g 100g 3.8 3 3 1.5 3 1.6 3.8 3.9 4.6 1.4 2.6 Dried beans Black-eye bean (cooked) Soya bean (cooked) Red bean (cooked) Mung bean (cooked) Kidney bean (cooked) 50g 50g 50g 50g 50g 1.3 1.4 2.6 1.2 1.8 Others Cashew nut Peanut Sesame Chestnut 28g 28g 28g 28g 1.6 2 4.4 3.3 An example of a high-fibre diet Meal Food type and amount fibre content (g) Breakfast 1 glass of low-fat milk (240ml) 1 slice of wholemeal bread (50g) 1 medium-sized egg 0 3.5 0 Morning snack Raisins (50g) and 3 wholemeal crackers (24g) 3.1 3 Lunch 1 bowl of white rice (200g) steamed fish (120g) watercress and soup (50g) banana (115g) 1 0 1.5 2 Afternoon snack boiled corn-cob (half) (77g) 3 Dinner 1 bowl of white rice (200g) kale (50g) meat or chicken (120g) 1 orange (130g) 1 1.5 0 3   22.6