How Do Fibres Help in Digestion?

By Kapiva Editorial

“You just need to up your fibre intake.” –  A majority of us have received this health advice at some point in our lives. However, we’ve never really understood the reason behind this popular suggestion. Read on to know what exactly is fibre, why is it important for good health and which are the best fibre for digestion.

What are Dietary Fibres? 

Also known as roughage or bulk, dietary fibres are nutritious substances found in various vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. Several people largely consume superfoods like barley, oatmeal, beans and nuts to increase their intake of fibres. Furthermore, most food items contain two different types of fibres – Soluble and Insoluble. As the name suggests, your body does not absorb insoluble fibres easily, but these are extremely effective for improving your bowel movement, shielding your gut health, and enhancing your digestion. The soluble fibres help your health in distinct ways. Additionally, consuming natural, unprocessed food can be richer in fibre than the ones cooked for too long or processed chemically. 

How do Dietary Fibres Help in Digestion? 

Dietary fibres help significantly in detoxifying your excretion system. Consuming dietary fibres increases the weight and size of your stool and even softens the rigidity of the stool thereby relieving the discomfort that one may experience while passing stools. On the contrary, if one is suffering from loose motions, the fibre absorbs excessive water in the stools and solidifies the excrete for pain-free excretion. 

Fibre aids holistic bowel health by reducing the risks of fatal hemorrhoids and colorectal cancer. Furthermore, you inch closer to overall wellness by eating fibre-rich fruits, vegetables and superfoods. If you’re suffering from unhealthy cholesterol levels, you can maintain a fibre-rich diet to lower your cholesterol naturally. Soluble fibre known to combat unhealthy cholesterol levels can be found in beans, flaxseeds, oat bran, and regular oats. Studies show that fibre-rich foods shield your heart health while also keeping problems of high blood pressure and inflammation at bay. 

Best Fibres For the Digestive System

There are different types of fibres for digestion:

Gondh 

We’ve all heard stories about how the cavemen would make strong hunting weapons with tree saps – the white gum excreted by trees. However, little do we know that Gondh or acacia gum is also used to treat diabetes. It is one of the best dietary fibres for diabetes and is found in Indian ladoos and other superfood mixes. Gondh has a type of fibre that helps in flushing out fats from the body through easy excretion. It fights diarrhoea and constipation while also treating irritable bowel syndrome. This fibre-rich food can be found in any of your closest general stores or food malls. 

Chicory Root Fiber

Derived from a plant that belongs to the dandelion family, Chicory root fibre is another type of soluble fibre that is rich in inulin that helps combat several health concerns. It is a good fibre for digestion. There are many chicory root fiber benefits, some of which include treating ill digestive systems. About 68% of chicory root fibre comes from the prebiotic fibre inulin, which is responsible for improving digestion and bowel function. Consuming this nutritious herb in the form of ladoos, or a powder mixed in water or milk, or even completely raw can fix your digestion issues. It also helps relieve constipation. Chicory root fibre is also known to prevent diabetes effectively and naturally. Thus, making this herb a part of your daily dietary regimen can inch you closer to holistic wellness. 

Isabgol 

If you’re constantly suffering from bad digestion, two tablespoons of isabgol every day can do wonders for your health. It is one of the most potent, widely used antidotes for many health conditions including bad digestion. Isabgol benefits include regularizing bowel movement. Isabgol for constipation is also popular since it is packed with both types of fibres – Soluble and Insoluble. Consuming a tablespoon of isabgol with buttermilk or any other beverage of your choice before hitting the bed can relieve you from constipation almost instantly. It is used extensively in superfoods, and herbal mixes made to improve digestion. 

Oat Fibres

Despite the fact that milk does not contain fibre, you can still turn your breakfast into a fibre-rich meal of the day by adding oats into your plain ol’ milk. Most types of oats contain a certain level of dietary fibres. Fibres regulate healthy bowel movement and ensure that one is relieved from discomfort while excreting. To consume cereal fibres, you can eat a bowl of wheat bran or oat bran. As a matter fact, oat is a great fibre for digestion because it contains more fibres than most vegetables and legumes. Oat is one of the most common among the different types of fibres for digestion.

How Can You Consume These Dietary Fibres?

kapiva digesti fibres

If you wish to consume all the fibre for digestion in a single go, you can choose Kapiva Digesti Fibres as a one-stop-solution. The nourishing product is enriched with the goodness of ayurveda and contains all the best fibre for digestion. Daily consumption of Kapiva Digesti Fibres can improve digestion and relieve one from problems like constipation or any other form of unhealthy excretion. 

Bottom Line

These are some of the best dietary fibres. You can make these different types of fibres a part of your daily intake to support healthy digestion and a happy gut health. Apart from consuming fibre-rich foods, you must also keep spicy, masaledaar food at the minimum and drink lots of water. Exercising regularly and leading a stress-free lifestyle are also some other vital things you can do to support your digestion. 

This information is part of the series produced for

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Kapiva Editorial

We are a team of food scientists and Ayurveda experts at Kapiva. Our mission is to raise awareness and educate people on ancient principles and herbs found in traditional texts. We work together to develop the most comprehensive content on Ayurveda which is grounded in peer-reviewed, scientific research.