The Truth About Fibre

Fibre is not a new phenomenon. In fact as far back as Hypocrites and Marco Polo there has been an awareness that unrefined foods will promote health and longevity. Research has been ongoing, but despite the obvious link between fibre and disease, more and more fibre-depleted foods have found their way into our diets.
Fibre is the structural part of the plant, it is the framework that supports and holds the plant together, it is therefore a component that is only found in foods of plant origin. It is classified as part of the carbohydrate, and often referred to as NSP or non-starch polysaccharide in scientific circles or roughage in layman's terms. It is extremely hardy, you can chew it, swallow it and subject it to stomach acids, yet most of it passes through your body unchanged.

Fibre acts in the bowel to:

• Increase faecal weight
• Alter the rate of colonic transit (the time it takes for food to pass through the system)
• Alter the frequency of bowel evacuation

Clearly as IBS sufferers the role that we want from fibre will varying depending on our symptoms.

So, How much do we need?

There is no simple answer to this question as each person's fibre intake needs to be individually balanced. There is a very fine line to be drawn between having the correct amount and overdoing it in terms of fibre intake. Common sense suggests that if you are constipated you are probably missing a healthy balance of fibre. In general otherwise if you are having your 5 fruit and veg a day, you should be getting the right balance.

When considering your fibre balance note that there are two types of fibre, soluble and insoluble. Plant foods mostly contain a combination of these two types of fibres. It is easiest to classify all fibre containing foods by that proportion of fibre which is predominant. If you wish to alter your fibre balance, try and ensure that you balance the type of fibre.

Food types which are predominantly high in soluble fibre are Fruits, Vegetables, Legumes, Oats, Barley, Seeds.

Foods predominantly high in insoluble fibre are:

• Roughage foods with skins, husks and peels
• Fruit and Vegetables with their skins and pips
• Wheat
• Rye
• Rice
• Nuts and some Legumes
• All other cereals

Helping control my IBS with Fibre

When it comes to helping control IBS, note that there is no evidence that increasing the “roughage” type of fibre alone will help your IBS.

It has been extensively proven that only the correct combination of soluble and insoluble fibre ensures proper bowel movement. It is also known that the gut bacteria quickly learn to recognise specific fibre sources and within just 2 weeks they increase in efficiency resulting in over degradation of fibre intake and subsequently no, or limited improvement in bowel function. It is thus of utmost importance that varied fibre sources are consumed.
The recording and analysis of a detailed food diary throughout the process of introduction is important in order to carefully monitor actual fibre intake as well as the balance of other nutrient intake. Increments in fibre intake need to be very slow but progressive and carefully monitored until the desired effect is achieved. Sudden increases can often lead to unpleasant side effects like pain, cramping, gas and diarrhoea. Have patience as it takes a few days sometimes a few weeks for a very lazy bowel to adapt and relearn its function with respect to fibre.