Fibre Basics

Ever wonder why eating fibre makes you feel bloated, flatulent and uncomfortable?  There are a few reasons to explain this phenomenon, and it requires knowing about the different types of fibre.

Fibre can be categorized into two types:  insoluble and soluble.

Insoluble fibre is the most common form, and it is the one that most people recognize as the typical form of fibre.  Examples of insoluble fibre include oat bran, wheat bran, flax seeds, and whole grains.  This type of fibre is hard to digest and therefore, works like a scrub in your large intestine.  It scrapes along the intestinal tract and then pushes the stool out of your colon.   It's also known as "bulk" or "roughage."

Soluble fibre is very different than insoluble fibre.  This type of fibre dissolves easily and absorbs water.  Examples of this type of fibre include psyllium, inulin, and acacia gum.  In your large intestine, it turns into a gel and acts like a sponge.  Soluble fibre absorbs a large amount of water and increases the size of your stool by bulking up the total mass.  Because of the larger stool size, it promotes the muscle movement of your large intestine (a process called peristalsis) and this helps to push the larger stool out of your body.

In some cases, because soluble fibre absorbs water, it may end up constipating you if you do not drink enough water.  In fact, soluble fibre is given as a treatment for diarrhea as well as for constipation!  It is also recommended as a natural treatment for lowering cholesterol levels and weight loss, topics that I will discuss in the future.

To remember the two forms of fibre, I like to think of an orange.  When you cut open an orange, the white stringy stuff is an example of insoluble fibre.  The orange gel-like fleshy stuff is an example of soluble fibre.

It's important for you to consume both types of fibre on a daily basis.  We should be getting about 25 to 30 grams of fibre on a daily basis, but we typically only eat about 15 to 20 grams.  When you quickly increase your fibre intake, that's where the bloating and discomfort occur.  Your body is just not used to the high levels of fibre, so go slowly.  Once you're at the right levels, you should no longer feel bloated or puffy.

A great cereal to try is Kellogg's Bran Buds, which has both forms of fibre in a high quantity per serving.  In addition to eating it as a cereal, I try to sprinkle it on salad, use them as croutons for soup, or throw them into a smoothie.