Mumbai: Here’s another reason why you should increase your consumption of dietary fibre! According to a recent study commissioned by the World Health Organisation (WHO), consuming fibre and whole grains can reduce health risks from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease. Fibre-rich fruits include bananas, oranges, apples, mangoes, strawberries, raspberries, while beans, legumes or darker coloured vegetables too have high-fibre content.
The paper published in The Lancet indicates that eating fibre-rich foods reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer by 16 per cent to 24 per cent. A higher fibre intake is also associated with lower bodyweight, systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol when compared with lower intake.
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of the ICMR for fibre is 25 gram/day. A healthy diet is one in which about half is made up by fruits and vegetables (45 per cent to 50 per cent) and a fourth is cereal and millets (rice/wheat/millets, etc). A person should get 55 per cent to 60 per cent of energy from carbohydrates, 25 per cent to 30 per cent energy from fats and oils (less than 10 per cent energy from saturated fats and almost nil from transfats), and 10 per cent to 15 per cent energy from protein diet.
Dr KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI), said, a high fibre diet is low in glycemic index. Due to this, sugar is released slowly into the blood which prevents an abrupt increase in a person’s blood sugar levels. Lots of fibre is needed each day to help reduce the risk of heart disease, improve digestion, prevent constipation and maintain a healthy body weight.
“Fibre can be found in fruits, whole grains and vegetables. Most adults should eat at least 20 to 35 grams of fibre every day; though the doctors say most people only eat about half as much. It’s best to slowly increase the fibre in your diet instead of piling it on all at once,” added Dr Aggarwal.
There is an average fall of 1.2/1.3 mmHg blood pressure with average 10-gram intake of fibre. Certain soluble fibres (psyllium, pectin, wheat dextrin and oat products) reduce bad LDL cholesterol. Every gram increase in soluble fibre reduces LDL cholesterol by an average of 2.2 mg/dL.
Dr Aggarwal further added “Oats give you soluble fibre. Add a banana or some strawberries to get more soluble fibres. Beans are also rich in soluble fibre. They also take a while for the body to digest, meaning you feel full for longer after a meal. Eating almonds, walnuts, peanuts and other nuts is also good for the heart.”
