Some of us might remember dietary fibre as one of the food groups we studied as kids. But do you remember how it benefits our body and what the types of dietary fibre are? Let’s explore fibre as one of the most essential food groups, and what are the right foods you can add to your diet to meet the fibre requirement per day and maintain the best of your health.
What is Dietary Fibre?
Starting off with the basics – what is dietary fibre? Fibre basically refers to the parts of plants that can’t be digested and absorbed by the human body. When you consume other kinds of foods, like protein or fats, they get broken down in the body and absorbed for use. That’s digestion. But it doesn’t work this way for fibre. Instead, fibre passes through our digestive system mostly intact, unchanged from how we consumed it. This is why you might also hear it be called “roughage” or “bulk”. The heaviness of these words conveys how difficult it is to digest fibre.
Benefits of Fibre
Funnily enough, you’ll find that the primary role of fibre in the body is to aid the digestive system. Ironic, right?
Here are some of the functions of dietary fibre in the body (1):
• Helps regulate bowel movements
• Prevents constipation
• Supports gut health
• Lowers cholesterol
• Controls blood sugar
• Promotes satiety
Types of Dietary Fibre
The most accepted classification of the types of dietary fibre is to differentiate them on the basis of water solubility. This leaves us with two types (2):
1. Soluble Fibre: This includes all the food rich in dietary fibre that dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance. Soluble fibre is slow to digest, but this means it takes your body more time to absorb glucose, which ends up lowering and regulating blood sugar levels. It’s found in fruits and some vegetables, oats, beans, and dals.
2. Insoluble Fibre: This dietary fibre does not dissolve in water, but it supports the movement of other material through the digestive system. So by speeding up the passage of food, it prevents constipation. You’ll find it in the peels of fruits and vegetables, whole wheat bread, brown rice, dried beans, nuts and seeds.
Both soluble and insoluble fibres are essential, and the majority of plant-based foods naturally include a combination of both types.
The Best Fibre Foods
The sources of dietary fibre broadly include plant foods. Here are the top 10 fibre foods you can easily add to your diet:
|
Food |
Type of Fibre |
Key Benefits |
|
Dal |
Soluble + Insoluble |
High protein + fibre; supports digestion and blood sugar control. |
|
Chana (chickpeas) |
Soluble + Insoluble |
Rich in fibre and protein; enhances satiety and gut health. |
|
Kidney Beans |
Soluble + Insoluble |
Good source of resistant starch; promotes bowel regularity. |
|
Oats |
Mainly Soluble |
Helps reduce bad cholesterol, controls blood sugar, and improves gut bacteria. |
|
Apples (with skin) |
Soluble + Insoluble |
Protects heart health and supports digestion. |
|
Pears (with skin) |
Soluble + Insoluble |
High in fibre and antioxidants; helps regulate bowel movements. |
|
Chia Seeds |
Mainly Soluble |
Fibre and omega-3 source; improves satiety and gut health. |
|
Brussels Sprouts |
Insoluble + Soluble |
Rich in fibre and antioxidants; supports detoxification. |
|
Carrots |
Mainly Insoluble |
Good for gut motility and skin health due to beta-carotene content. |
|
Avocado |
Mostly Soluble |
Provides healthy fats plus fibre; supports satiety and heart health. |
RDA: 30-50 g/day for adult men; 25-40 g/day for adult women.
It’s important meet the recommended fibre requirement per day to maintain digestive and gut health. In India, it’s easy to fulfil this intake level because of the popularity of plant-based foods; including cereals, dals, and vegetables; which are naturally rich in fibre. So just keep having your regular Indian diet and try to consume fruits with their skins, and you should be good to go!
Dietary Fibre and Weight Loss
There’s also an important role of fibre foods for weight loss. Most people focus on creating a diet plan with low energy and fats, but this can still leave you feeling hungry. High-fibre foods promote satiety, which means the feeling of being full. This reduces your overall calorie intake. And since soluble fibres slow down the absorption of sugars, it also prevents blood sugar spikes and fat accumulation. Including legumes like dals and beans, oats, fruits like apples and pears, and seeds like chia can help control hunger and support weight loss efforts (3).
Tips to Increase Fibre Intake
• Give your digestive system some time to adapt by adding fibres to your regular diet gradually.
• Drink plenty of water to help fibres work effectively and prevent bloating.
• Choose minimally processed plant foods and fruits with their skins on for maximum fibre.
• Combine soluble and insoluble sources of dietary fibre for overall health of your gut.
Final Thoughts
Dietary fibre, both soluble and insoluble, plays a crucial role in digestive and gut health and weight management. The top fibre foods include pulses like dals and chana, whole grains such as oats and millets, fruits like apples and pears, and vegetables like carrots and brussel sprouts. Now that we know the importance of dietary fibres in our health, we can work to include them in our diets and support our body more wholesomely.
FAQs
Q1. Why is fibre important in the diet?
Fibre supports digestion, lowers cholesterol, regulates blood sugar, reduces risk of diabetes, and some cancers, and helps maintain healthy weight.
Q2. What are the fibre foods?
Fibre foods include dals, chanas, kidney beans, oats, fruits with their skins (like apples and pears), carrots, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
Q3. What are the two types of dietary fibre?
The two types of dietary fibres are soluble, easily dissolves in water and prevents rise in blood sugar, and insoluble, which does not dissolve in water but speeds up passage of food through digestive tract.
Q4. Is fibre good for weight loss?
Yes, fibre is good for weight loss as it increases satiety (the feeling of being full), helps control appetite, and lowers overall calorie intake.