Dietary fibre comes from the cell walls of plant foods. It's the substance that helps hold the plant together, preventing cell walls from collapsing. There are two main types of dietary fibre - soluble and insoluble. Both types are required in the diet, and can be obtained by eating a varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables, wholegrain cereals and legumes. Many people don't consume the amount of fibre recommended on a daily basis, so it's important to plan meals and snacks that contain good sources of dietary fibre.
Fibre is not digested by the human body, but plays an important role in health.
- Firstly, it contributes to a healthy digestive tract by providing bulk and softening to solid waste, helping it to move through the digestive tract at a healthy pace
- Secondly, fibre is an important fuel source for beneficial bacteria living in the digestive tract. These beneficial bacteria help by releasing various nutrients for the body to absorb and preventing harmful bacteria from multiplying in the digestive tract
- Thirdly, fibre can actually bind to potentially harmful substances in the digestive tract and carry them through into waste material
Kiwifruit and Fibre
ZESPRI® GREEN and GOLD Kiwifruit are great sources of soluble fibre - which is very important for digestive health. This is probably why kiwifruit are recognised widely as a natural digestive aid.
Scientific research has shown that eating kiwifruit regularly helps promote normal bowel habits, with less bloating. This is thought to be largely due to the high soluble fibre content, possibly due to the exceptionally high capacity for kiwifruit fibre to hold water, and therefore create bulkier, softer stools. There are also likely to be a variety of other factors present in kiwifruit which beneficially affect digestive health. For more information on digestive health and kiwifruit see the digestion section.