What is Fibre

AWARENESS ABOUT DIETARY FIBRE

Dietary Fiber is first defined by Hipsley in 1953 as the non-digestible components of the edible plants that make up the plant cell wall ; that is cellulose, hemicelluloses & lignin (1 )

Today , there is no universal definition ,however all agree to classify them as either soluble or insoluble according to their solubility in water :

Insoluble Dietary Fibers(IDF) has passive water attracting properties that help to increase bulk , soften stool & shorten transit time through the intestinal tract .They are also mostly resistant to fermentation in the large bowel .Wheat bran and legumes are the most important sources of insoluble fiber in addition to most fruits & vegetables (see table) .However Weight % is not more than 10% of the whole grain

Soluble Dietary Fibers(SDF) are readily soluble in water and is mostly fermented in the Large bowel .

InSoluble Dietary Fibre(IDF) is INDIGESTABLE by Humans AND the Soluble Dietary Fibers(SDF) is 100% Fermentable(Digestable) by Humans , eating too much of IDF causes IBS , constipation & may sweep away rich MINERAL with them before they are digested .