Diet and Nutrition
Dietary Fibre and Your Body
Dietary fibre is the portion of food that cannot be digested by our bodies. Therefore, there is a misconception that dietary fibre is just food remains which provides no nutritional value. Actually, dietary fibre can be divided into two types: soluble and insoluble fibre. Both serve different functions in the body and can be obtained from different foods.
Health benefits of dietary fibre
Eating moderate amount of dietary fibre-rich foods helps prevent the development of many chronic diseases and improve body health.
- Prevent and relieve constipation
Dietary fibre increases faecal volume and stimulates peristalsis. It swells, absorbs water and lubricates the large intestine to soften faeces and make defecation easier. - Help maintain gut health
Dietary fibre promotes the activity of intestinal bacteria to maintain gut health. - Prevent colon cancer
Dietary fibre shortens the retention time of food residues in the intestine and so prevents the accumulation of carcinogens. - Help weight control and reduce the chance of obesity
Eating dietary fibre-rich food requires relatively more time to chew. This can make people feel full easily, thus eating less food. - Help to stabilise blood glucose level and control diabetes
Soluble dietary fibre can slow down the absorption of sugar. - Help lower blood cholesterol level and prevent heart disease
Soluble dietary fibre combines with bile to enhance bile excretion and lower blood cholesterol level.
Foods rich in dietary fibre
Grains - wholemeal bread, red rice, oatmeal
Vegetables - Chinese kale, broccoli, spinach
Root vegetables - potato (with skin), sweet potato
Beans - chickpeas, red kidney bean, soya bean, red bean
Fungi - straw mushroom, shiitake mushroom, mushroom, cloud ear fungus
Fruits - orange, grapefruit, prune
Others- sesame, almond, cashew nut, peanut
Daily dietary fibre requirement
Adolescents and adults need not less than 25g of dietary fibre everyday while children need less. Add 5 to a child's age to calculate the amount of dietary fibre needed per day ( Age + 5 = grams of dietary fibre required per day ).
For example, a 6-year-old child would need 6+5=11g of dietary fibre per day.
Reference: Centre for Health Protection (Dietary Fibre)
Essential facts
- Obtain dietary fibre from food rather than supplements (e.g. fibre tablets, powders, etc.).
- Eat different varieties of dietary fibre-rich food as dietary fibre obtained from different food serves different functions.
- Increase the intake of dietary fibre progressively to avoid gastrointestinal symptoms caused by a sudden intake of a large amount of dietary fibre.
- Eat unpeeled fruits and vegetables (e.g. unpeeled cucumber, plums, apple and grapes, etc.).
- Since the dietary fibre content in fresh fruit is higher than juice, eating fresh fruit is better than drinking juice.
- Dietary fibre absorbs water. It is suggested to drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluid per day to allow the dietary fibre function effectively.
- Although dietary fibre is important to health, we should not neglect other food groups. A well balanced diet and regular exercise are of the utmost importance to good health.
Dietary fibre content of different food groups
Food group and amount | Dietary fibre (g) | |
---|---|---|
Grains | ||
White rice (cooked) | 100g | 0.2 |
Brown rice (cooked) | 100g | 1.8 |
Wholemeal bread | 100g | 6.8 |
Breakfast cereals, whole wheat flakes | 100g | 11.7 |
Breakfast cereals, cornflakes | 100g | 3.6 |
Oatmeal (uncooked) | 100g | 10.6 |
Oatmeal (cooked) | 100g | 1.7 |
Quinoa (cooked) | 100g | 2.8 |
Fruits/ dried fruits | ||
Apple (with skin) | 100g | 2.4 |
Orange (peeled) | 100g | 2.4 |
Banana (peeled) | 100g | 2.6 |
Green kiwi | 100g | 3.0 |
Avocado | 100g | 6.7 |
Pear (Asian) | 100g | 3.6 |
Dried apricot | 100g | 7.7 |
Dried prune | 100g | 7.1 |
Raisin (seedless) | 100g | 3.7 |
Vegetables | ||
Broccoli (cooked) | 100g | 3.3 |
Chinese kale (cooked) | 100g | 2.5 |
Spinach (cooked) | 100g | 2.4 |
Lettuce (cooked) | 100g | 1.9 |
Choy sum (cooked) | 100g | 1.6 |
Red Tomato (cooked) | 100g | 0.7 |
Carrot (cooked) | 100g | 3.0 |
Corn (cooked) | 100g | 2.4 |
Shiitake mushroom (cooked) | 100g | 2.1 |
Potatoes (baked, with skin) | 100g | 2.1 |
Sweet potato (baked, with skin) | 100g | 3.3 |
Dried beans | ||
Chickpeas (cooked) | 100g | 7.6 |
Soya bean (cooked) | 100g | 6.0 |
Red bean (cooked) | 100g | 7.3 |
Mung bean (cooked) | 100g | 7.6 |
Red kidney bean (cooked) | 100g | 7.4 |
Nuts | ||
Cashew nut (roasted) | 100g | 3.0 |
Peanut (roasted) | 100g | 8.0 |
Sesame (roasted) | 100g | 14.0 |
Pistachio (roasted) | 100g | 10.3 |
Almond (roasted) | 100g | 11.8 |
Recipes rich in dietary fibre
Food type and amount | Dietary fibre content (g) | |
---|---|---|
Breakfast | Low fat milk, 1 glass (240ml) | 0 |
Wholemeal bread, 2 slices (56g) | 3.8 | |
Egg, 1 piece (50g) | 0 | |
Morning snack | Raisins, 1/3 cup (49g) | 1.8 |
Almond, 1oz. (28g) | 3.3 | |
Lunch | Brown rice, 1 bowl (195g) | 3.5 |
Steamed fish (120g) | 0 | |
Broccoli (cooked), 1/2 bowl (90g) | 2.9 | |
Banana, 1 piece (118g) | 3.0 | |
Afternoon snack | Boiled corn 1/2 bowl (82g) | 1.9 |
Dinner | Brown rice, 1 bowl (195g) | 3.5 |
Chinese kale (cooked), 1/2 bowl (65g) | 1.6 | |
Meat or chicken (120g) | 0 | |
Orange,1 piece (131g) | 3.1 | |
Total dietary fibre content | 28.4 |
Nutrient Information Inquiry System, Centre for Food Safety
(Revised in June 2022)