subject: Introduction of Dietary Fibres [print this page] Author: Fereshteh Safarzadeh Markhali Author: Fereshteh Safarzadeh Markhali
Dietary fibre (generally known as roughage) is basically derived from plants including various vegetables and fruits which are not digestible in human body. It is classified as soluble or insoluble fibre. The soluble fibre with high viscosity and prebiotic properties; is able to undergo fermentation process in the colon (of large intestine) producing gases and some active substances.
The insoluble fibre has inactive chemical characteristics while having the ability of water absorption during the digestion process and enabling easier elimination of fecal matters from the body. Chemical structure of dietary fibre is made up non-starch polysaccharide including cellulose, inulin, lignin, chitins, pectins and oligosaccharide, etc.
Relatively all plants contain both soluble and insoluble fibres with different proportions; depending on various types of plants, each kind of fibre accounts for some specific amount. Plant sources providing pronounced percentage of insoluble fibre comprise seeds and nuts, flax seeds, skins of most fruits, whole grain food range and certain vegetables including celery, courgette, rhubarb, green beans, etc.
Soluble fibre is widely available in specific plant varieties e.g. barely, oat, rye, legumes (beans and peas) and certain fruits (flesh rather than skins) comprising bananas, pears, berries and prunes. Some vegetables also provide high extent of soluble fibre such as carrots and artichokes. Furthermore, there is some concentration of soluble fibre in the inside of plants like onions and sweet potatoes (higher proportion of insoluble fibre is present in the skin of these plant types). Fibres can provide substantial health benefits for maintaining adequate mechanism within the human body.About the Author:
