What's the difference between soluble and insoluble fibre

asks Pathfinder
A. Fibre is the bits of plant cells that you can't digest, and is found in vegetables, cereals, bread, nuts, seeds and fruit.

It's known that eating high-fibre foods provides protection against our biggest degenerative diseases - heart disease and cancer. A high-fibre diet helps you to live longer and protects against parasitic infections.

Soluble and insoluble fibre have different effects on the body.

Q. What are they
A. Soluble fibre can be dissolved in water, resulting in a thick gel. Soluble fibre feeds the bacteria in your intestine. They in turn ferment and produce chemicals called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs have a healing effect on your intestine and reduce the risk of cancer. In your liver, they reduce production of cholesterol. SCFAs also reduce the growth of yeast and disease-causing bacteria.

Fruit pectin is an example of a highly soluble fibre. Oat bran has moderately soluble fibre.

Too much soluble fibre - in the form of soluble-fibre supplements such as guar gum - can be problematic. It encourages the bacteria in the intestine to overgrow, which can deplete the body's intake of certain vitamins and create an imbalance of bacteria, increasing the risk of stomach or bowel cancers.

Q. What about insoluble fibre

A. Insoluble fibre is not easily turned into SCFAs and won't affect your blood cholesterol levels. What it does do is kill off toxins in the intestine, and decrease the risk of colon and breast cancer.

Taking insoluble fibre supplements such as wheat bran or pure cellulose has also been linked to lower risks of bowel cancer.

Q. It is better to get both kinds of fibre from natural sources
A. Yes. We all need both kinds. The best sources of mixed fibres are unrefined cereal grains (oats, brown rice, whole wheat), peas and beans. Apples and berries are the fruits with the most fibre.

Q. Which kind of fibre is best for constipation
A. All types of fibre will add bulk. If you up your fibre intake, you'll also need to drink more liquid. Have eight glasses of water a day - preferably between meals.

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by Sheena Miller