Tag: dietary fibre

Fibre and Fibre Supplements

Today’s post is about fibre and fibre supplements.

Continuing on from our last post on stomach acid, today we will take a look at fibre.

What is fibre?

There are actually two forms that we can consume – soluble and insoluble.

Basically, one forms a gel like substance when mixed with water (soluble), chia seeds are an example of this. This soluble fibre helps to reduce cholesterol and fat absorption and improving glucose control, it also helps us to feel fuller helping with weight loss.

Insoluble fibre stays pretty much as it is eaten, all the way through the digestive process, an example of this is psyllium husk. This type provides bulk to the stool as well as helping to clean out the digestive system. It does this by acting as a sort of broom inside the digestive tract sweeping away things that are trying to cling to the sides.

Both types of fibre are an important part of a healthy diet and especially for digestion.

The two forms of fibre perform many tasks that are necessary to our overall health. They provide the balance between constipation and diarrhoea, they provide a food source for important bacteria in the digestive tract and reduce the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and some intestinal cancers. Fibre also slows the rate that sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream which keeps the blood glucose levels from rising too fast.

What about a fibre supplement?

Studies have found that only 5% of adults consume the recommended level of dietary fibre. So, for many, taking supplements can be a convenient way to improve part of their diet. There are easily available products like Metamucil or Benefiber that can help. However, these products don’t offer the same nutritional benefits of getting the fibre from food sources.

What about long-term use?

Is a supplement sustainable in the long term raises the question of why you are taking a fibre supplement in the first place.

As a Naturopath I feel that the reasons for continued use of a fibre supplement should be explored. There may be other issues to consider and if they are not addressed then more health concerns could occur. Therefore, it is more important to ascertain what that underlying problem may be.

It could quite simply be that there are gaps in the diet not providing enough of the right type of fibre. In this case the simple answer is small changes to your diet to include more. This means including things like fruits, beans, whole grains and vegetables into your diet in greater amounts and preferably unprocessed.

Of course, it is possible to get too much of a good thing and fibre is no exception. Too much fibre can lead to bloating and excessive gas and no-one wants that. As with all things, there is a balancing act going on inside the body at all times.

So, if you think you have an issue with too much or too little fibre then see your health professional.

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper

Sources – National Library of Medicine –

Green Banana Flour

This week’s post is about Green Banana flour.

It’s relatively new to Australia, but it’s already getting a lot of attention due to its many health benefits.

What is it?

Banana flour is a powder made from un-ripe (green) bananas. Historically, banana flour has been used in Africa and Jamaica as early as the 1900’s, as a cheaper alternative to wheat flour. The flour is generally produced using green bananas that are peeled, chopped, dried, and then ground.

Is Banana flour healthy?

The flour is gluten free, high in potassium, magnesium, dietary fibre and vitamin E. It is now often used as a gluten-free replacement for wheat flours. It is also one of the richest sources of resistance starch in the world.

However, not all resistant starches are made equal. Of the handful of foods that contain resistant starch, the quantity is low and it can be destroyed through cooking or it comes from genetically modified sources. The cooking process does not destroy the resistant starch in the banana flour.

In 2013 Robert Watkins, a Queensland Banana Farmer, discovered the richest source of resistant starch in a variety of bananas known as Lady Fingers. While regular bananas (they must be green) consumed by the mass market such as Cavendish still contain resistant starch, they only contain approximately half the amount found in Lady Fingers.

The starchy unripe Lady Finger bananas are also low in sugar. As a result, the milled flour can help people better control their blood glucose. It also provides a range of digestive benefits, making it a powerful new gut health ingredient. Nutritional studies in the area of resistant starches have revealed enzyme-resistant starches produce important metabolites in the colon. These metabolites appear to have important biological effects, which can lead to improved physical and mental health.

Health benefits

The flour contains 3 different fibres

– Resistant starch, a fermentable fibre
– Inulin, soluble fibre and
– Dietary Fibre or insoluble fibre

These fibres work like a prebiotic. When the fibres enter your digestive system they encourage production of digestive enzymes that nourish the good gut bacteria and in turn heals your gut.

These fibres also increase the absorption and capacity of antioxidants and minerals. They improve colon health and aide in the prevention of colon cancer. Together the fibres also aide in the treatment of diabetes, lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, a well as reduce the incidence of gallstones.
Resistant starch can also assist with weight loss, as you feel quite full after consuming a small amount. Resistant Starch in this form also increases metabolism and removes aflatoxins and inflammation. (Sources – www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.naturalevolutionfoods.com.au www.wikipedia.org   www.thesourcebulkfoods.com.au )

Repurposed “waste”

There is approximately 500 tonne of Lady Finger bananas going to waste every week in Australia. This is due to being considered ‘unsuitable’ according to supermarket guidelines. The fruit are perfectly good for eating and packed full of nutrients yet “unwanted” by the supermarket giants because they were too straight, too bendy, too big or too small.

Rather than disposing of the tonnes of “waste” bananas, Robert Watkins developed a manufacturing process to turn the bananas into flour.

What began as a purpose and use for tonnes of wasted bananas each week has evolved into a new market for all growers. Mr Watkins is continuing to research how the nutrient dense green bananas can be utilised in different ways.

It’s fantastic to see how one farmer can have such a positive impact on a whole industry.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper