Did you know that you have to take a minimum amount of dietary fibre (roughage) every day? And that fibre, as well as preventing constipation, helps your body to function much better? Read this blog carefully and how important it is to get your fibre every day.

When we speak of fibre, we refer to the parts of vegetables that are resistant to digestive enzymes, that is, although they are not digestible, they can be fermented by the colonic microflora. There are two types of fibres that act in the body differently:

Insoluble fibre is low fermentation fibre that increases the weight of the faecal mass and is excreted practically intact in the faeces. This fibre helps to speed up intestinal movements.

Soluble fibre forms viscous gels and acts by increasing the volume of the faeces and softening them. This fibre ferments in the colon, contributing to the good maintenance of bacterial flora. Some of these fibres can cause flatulence.

The benefits of fibre

Fibre is especially important for regulating intestinal (bowel) transit, but it has also been demonstrated that a fibre-rich diet gives protection against many diseases: it helps lower cholesterol levels, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and the chances of being affected by cancer of the colon.

Fibre also helps diabetics greatly by reducing blood glucose levels. Moreover, it helps us to control our weight, because foods that contain more fibre need more chewing time, increase the feeling of satiety and help control the appetite.

So, if you are watching your weight, don’t forget your fibre!