Dietary fibre or roughage are indigestible compounds which are fermented by the bacteria in the human colon.
Dietary fibre has two main components, i.e., soluble and insoluble fibre.
Soluble fibres are dissolve in water and they easily fermented in colon into gases.
Insoluble fibre does not dissolve in water, they provide bulk to the diet. They can be prebiotics.
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They produce short chain fatty acids in the colon that may be utilized by the mucosal cells or may be absorbed and transported to other tissues where they have been hypothesized to regulate several metabolic processes.
Dietary
fibre provide bulking effect in the diet that increases fecal volume, limits caloric intake, slows
stomach emptying.
They work as a laxative and provide relive in constipation.
They also have the capacity to bind or absorb other organic
compounds i.e., sugars and fats.
They help in lowering cholesterol levels in the
blood which leads to less plaque formation, prevents the blocking of blood
vessels, and therefore, they reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke.
They are helpful in
enhancing weight control and in a better glycemic control.
