alive Editorial
Fibre is one of the most basic elements of a healthy diet. A major building block of plants, fibre occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and whole grains. If our diet includes a large proportion and variety of whole foods, it’s easy to maintain healthy levels of fibre intake. Unfortunately, living in a culture in which fast and processed foods proliferate, it’s all too easy to find ourselves fibre deficient. That’s why it’s essential to pay attention to this particular nutritional component that is not a vitamin, mineral, antioxidant, or a protein.
Amount | Food | Fibre (g) | Calories |
1 cup (177 g) | kidney beans (cooked) | 16 | 218 |
1 cup (172 g) | black beans (cooked) | 15 | 227 |
1 cup (188 g) | lima beans (cooked) | 13 | 216 |
1 cup (123 g) | raspberries | 8 | 64 |
1 cup (136 g) | yam (cooked) | 5 | 158 |
1 cup (175 g) | Swiss chard (cooked) | 4 | 35 |
1 | orange | 4 | 85 |
1 cup (100 g) | cauliflower (raw) | 3 | 25 |
1 Tbsp (10 g) | flaxseeds | 3 | 36 |
1 cup (91 g) | broccoli (raw) | 2 | 31 |
Insoluble fibre remains whole and absorbs water as it travels through the digestive tract, sweeping it clean of clinging waste material as it goes.
Soluble fibre reaches the large intestine and once there, is fermented and at least partially absorbed into the system.
This fermentation is essentially a feeding of the gastrointestinal bacteria, creating short chain fatty acids, which once absorbed in the colon, reduce cholesterol produced by the liver and help regulate insulin production. These factors impart improved circulatory health and therefore a lowered risk of heart disease.
While it is beneficial to include fibre in certain processed foods, many health specialists advise that eating unprocessed, whole plant foods rich in cellulose is by far the best and easiest way to ensure a safe, nutritionally beneficial fibre intake.
Yogurts featuring the prebiotic and soluble fibre, inulin, are also very much in vogue right now. Though derived from plant sources such as chicory or Jerusalem artichokes, inulin is a very concentrated substance that our bodies are not necessarily well-adapted to utilizing. There is some suspicion that inulin may also feed yeast and other bad bacteria in the gut, and it has been linked to constipation, diarrhea, IBS, and nutritional malabsorption.
Rather than focusing on one specific fibre supplement, incorporating more fibre-rich foods, such as beans, lentils, seeds, whole unprocessed grains, fruit, and vegetables, will benefit your detoxification immensely.
Recent research indicates that a generous intake of dietary fibre reduces the risk of developing
Children over 4 years of age | 25 g |
Females | 25 g |
Males | 38 g |