What is the importance of Fibre for Indians?

Healthy eating in India is primarily focused on the amount of protein, nutrients, minerals and vitamins that have been tirelessly added to the diet of the average Indian. Unfortunately, there is one major element that is required to make sure that the diet is well-rounded all across. This specific nutrient happens to be dietary fibre, and dietary fibre is capable of ensuring a direct loss of excess weight, ensuring that diabetes is regularly controlled, immensely helping the digestion of food and overall ensuring that the body is in a very healthy state throughout the day.

This is alarming for many reasons, as most Indian families are carbohydrate-dependent and have plenty of carbs in their diet, the inclusion of just the correct amount of dietary fibre in their diets can help them immensely.

WHAT IS DIETARY FIBRE?

Dietary fibre has been known to be the only indigestible food item that can only be found in plant-based food items. Due to its undigestable behaviour, dietary fibre is not broken down by the body and is instead passed through the entire body relatively unchanged. This process can help immensely with the digestive process as well as detoxifying the entire body.

SOLUBLE FIBRE

This type of fiber has been known to easily be dissolved by water and is mostly used for keeping track of blood sugar levels and cholesterol throughout the body.

INSOLUBLE FIBRE

This fibre is used to pack in a lot of bulk in the stool and is primarily used for easing the amount of bowel movement in the body.

WHY IS FIBRE CRUCIAL FOR THE INDIAN DIET?

The main ingredients for the traditional Indian diet has mainly consisted of a myriad of dals, pulses, rices, carbs, and vitamins and minerals. These are very good ingredients for having a good base of fibre for the body, but the steady increase of refined foods suggests that the reliance of foods that are filled with fibre are being replaced by snacks that are just filled with sugar and fried foods that contain large amounts of oil in them. This ultimately leads to a large lack of proper foods that are filled with fibre from being neglected.

REASONS WHY FIBRE IS OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE TO INDIANS

• It helps overcome a large amount of digestive issues that a majority of Indians are facing everyday by providing a lot of bulk to the stool and giving is a very firm and strong distinguishing factor.
• Many Indians are under the influence of getting diabetic conditions a lot earlier than they were expecting, so adding some fiber in their diet can help prevent any blood related issues relatively quickly.
• It is also especially useful whenever an individual is suffering from obesity, as it can help provide a lot of satiety to the foods that are provided by the diet itself.
• A sedentary lifestyle that provides so much physical activity and sustenance can be extremely overwhelming for an individual who would want to change his lifestyle.

WHAT ARE SOME KEY BENEFITS OF FIBRE?

IMPROVES CONSTIPATION AND DIGESTION 

Fibre has the capability of increasing the bulk of your stool, which is extremely good for proper bowel movement and allows for much better production of stool with quicker times.

CONTROLLING THE BLOOD PRESSURE

Soluble fiber has been shown to have quite a drastic effect on sugar absorption within the body, and it is also helpful towards people who are suffering from Diabetes Type 2 while also keeping very stable blood pressure all throughout the body.

HELPS IN MANAGING WEIGHT

Fibre has a unique property that allows you to feel full for a decent chunk of time, allowing you to not feel any type of craving for food items for a very long time. This can also provide a lot of help for portion control without making you feel hungry all the time.

LOWERS BAD CHOLESTEROL

There have been many cases where soluble fibre has been able to stick with excess cholesterol that is usually found in the digestive system and is then removed from the body through the soluble fibre itself.

REMOVES THE RISK OF COLON AND BREAST CANCER

There have been some studies that have been conducted that can showcase high-fibre diets have been useful in protecting the body against colorectal and breast cancers without too much effort by helping the gut improve its health or through the balancing of specific hormones.

IT BOOSTS GUT MICROBIOMES

Lastly, the fibre that you consume acts like a pre-biotic for the healthy, good bacteria present within the gut, where it has been shown to massively improve both gut health and enhance the mood of the recipient.

WHAT ARE THE BEST DESI SOURCES OF FIBRE FOR INDIAN FAMILIES?

Almost every Indian household has fibre-rich foods that are readily available in the kitchen, yet they are almost always ignored or are neglected by a majority of the households. These specific food items are as follows:- 

WHOLE-GRAINS

1. Atta (Whole Grain Wheat), most commonly used in roti, parantha, and chapati. This is considered by many to be the staple food for Indian households.
2. Brown Rice has often been touted as a much better and healthier alternative to regular white rice.
3. Bajra or Pearl Millet is high in fibre while also being exceptionally reliable during winters.
4. Jowar is a very easy to digest fibre-rich food item that can be eaten by individuals who have gluten allergies as well.
5. Ragi is another common Indian household food item that can greatly help both children as well as the elderly.
6. Oats are also a rather common food item right now, yet it was never found to be used for breakfast in many Indian households.

PULSES AND LEGUMES 

1. Chana Dals
2. Toor Dals
3. Rajma
4. Chickpeas
5. Moong Dal
6. Masoor Dal

VEGETABLES 

1. Bindhi
2. Lauki
3. Karela
4. Baingan
5. Palak or Methi
6. Carrots

WHAT ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP THE TAKE IN FIBRE DAILY?

• Try and consume entire fruits by themselves, rather than having fruit juices as a substitute.
• Having a raw salad with no dressing every day can also provide some much needed fiber within your body before you have a major meal.
• Throw out any ordinary atta powder that you may have and instead consume multigrain atta instead.
• Always try to have 1 or 2 bowls full of sabzi or vegetables during your lunch and dinner.
• If you ever feel like having a smoothie, try and make sure to add some flaxseeds within some curd to ensure better digestion.
• It would be best if you also remove your white rice and add some brown rice instead, having it at least once a week.
• Sprinkle Pumpkin and Chia Seeds in your breakfast for some extra fiber the body can utilize.

HOW MUCH FIBRE DOES AN AVERAGE INDIAN REQUIRE?

• Adult Men would require 30 to 40 grams a day.
• Adult Women are required to have 25 to 30 grams a day.
• Children between the ages of 6 and 12 are required to consume 15-20 grams a day.
• Teenagers must be required to have at least 20 to 25 grams a day.
• The Elderly are also required to consume just above 20 to 25 grams a day.

WHAT ARE SOME MYTHS ABOUT FIBRE IN INDIA? 

ONLY OLD PEOPLE REQUIRE FIBRE

• The consumption of fibre is a necessity for every age group.

HAVING JUICE INSTEAD OF FRUITS WILL PROVIDE THE SAME AMOUNT OF FIBRE 

• Almost a majority of the fibres are lost during the juicing process, which is why many health professionals ask you to have the actual fruit instead.

PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM CONSTIPATION ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO REQUIRE FIBRE

• Having fiber within your body can help out with a lot of serious conditions, such as diabetes, decrease or increase of cholesterol, managing weight loss and other major medical conditions.

FAQS

WHAT HAPPENS IF I EAT TOO MUCH FIBRE AT ONCE?

In case you manage to consume a lot of fibre without taking care of controlling the amount of fibre being consumed, it would lead to a massive amount of gas and acidity being built up, and it will only increase gradually and you will have to drink as much water as you can to lessen the bloating.

IS FIBRE GOOD FOR KIDS?

Fibre is considered to be an essential aspect of many children' s diet as it helps the body overcome digestion and can help maintain lots of good eating habits as they grow older everyday. Be sure to include lots of fruits, vegetables and pulses in their daily diet.

ARE FIBRE SUPPLEMENTS NECESSARY?

A lot of the cases for less fibre in the body do not necessarily require any form of fibre supplement. A completely balanced diet featuring all sorts of fruits, vegetables, pulses and grains are more than enough for providing fibre for the body.

DOES FIBRE HELP WITH WEIGHTLOSS?

It can help the body relax after consuming some food rich in fibre, as it can tell the body that it is full and also reduce any significant amount of food craving.

CONCLUSION

Fibre has always been a very silent nutrient that your body desperately needs, especially Indian households, yet their main preference of food comes from food items that are filled with oil, fats, and even fried. This goes on and on and the less amount of fibre present within your body, the bigger the issue at hand may be for the body's health.

Thankfully, the same food that is present in every Indian household has an abundance of Indian foods that are full of fibre. The main point to keep in mind is to ensure that you do not overeat any type of fibre and keep any particular craving out of your sight. This will help improve the amount of fibre intake within the body as much as possible and provide a much better balanced diet for many.

 

 

Medical Disclaimer – The information that has been written is only to be used for educational purposes. There has been no information presented by this website, be it tests, images and graphics, which should be taken as professional medical advice. Always consult with your doctor regarding any medical advice that may relate to your condition.