How Fibre Damages Your System, But Is Good For You

how

The roughage basically damages the inside of your gut as it’s moving along. While your cells are trying to heal themselves they produce mucus, which lubricates the passage for food.

Two doctors based out of the Medical College of Georgia outlined the process in a recent issue of Public Library of Science Biology.

While it sounds harmful, the authors of the report assert the damage fibre does is actually a good thing.

Fibre is found naturally in many foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes and is also beneficial to your health in other ways — it helps to prevent bowel cancer, helps to reduce cholesterol and also helps you maintain a healthy blood sugar level.

So how much should you get? Health Canada recommends between 25 to 30 grams a day, which is not hard to get if you eat a well-balanced diet. For example, half-a-cup of an all bran cereal contains 12 grams; a half-cup of kidney beans contains 8.2g; and an apple has 3g of fibre.

Here’s a look at the fibre content of some other common foods (courtesy of the USDA):

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Food, Standard Amount	Dietary Fibre (g)	Calories
Navy beans, cooked, ½ cup	9.5	128
Bran ready-to-eat cereal (100%), ½ cup	8.8	78
Kidney beans, canned, ½ cup	8.2	109
Split peas, cooked, ½ cup	8.1	116
Lentils, cooked, ½ cup	7.8	115
Black beans, cooked, ½ cup	7.5	114
Pinto beans, cooked, ½ cup	7.7	122
Lima beans, cooked, ½ cup	6.6	108
Artichoke, globe, cooked, 1 each	6.5	60
White beans, canned, ½ cup	6.3	154
Chickpeas, cooked, ½ cup	6.2	135
Great northern beans, cooked, ½ cup	6.2	105
Cowpeas, cooked, ½ cup	5.6	100
Soybeans, mature, cooked, ½ cup	5.2	149
Bran ready-to-eat cereals, various, ~1 oz	2.6-5.0	90-108
Crackers, rye wafers, plain, 2 wafers	5.0	74
Sweetpotato, baked, with peel, l medium (146 g)	4.8	131
Asian pear, raw, 1 small	4.4	51
Green peas, cooked, ½ cup	4.4	67
Whole-wheat English muffin, 1 each	4.4	134
Pear, raw, 1 small	4.3	81
Bulgur, cooked, ½ cup	4.1	76
Mixed vegetables, cooked, ½ cup	4.0	59
Raspberries, raw, ½ cup	4.0	32
Sweetpotato, boiled, no peel, 1 medium (156 g)	3.9	119
Blackberries, raw, ½ cup	3.8	31
Potato, baked, with skin, 1 medium	3.8	161
Soybeans, green, cooked, ½ cup	3.8	127
Stewed prunes, ½ cup	3.8	133
Figs, dried, ¼ cup	3.7	93
Dates, ¼ cup	3.6	126
Oat bran, raw, ¼ cup	3.6	58
Pumpkin, canned, ½ cup	3.6	42
Spinach, frozen, cooked, ½ cup	3.5	30
Shredded wheat ready-to-eat cereals, various, ~1 oz	2.8-3.4	96
Almonds, 1 oz	3.3	164
Apple with skin, raw, 1 medium	3.3	72
Brussels sprouts, frozen, cooked, ½ cup	3.2	33
Whole-wheat spaghetti, cooked, ½ cup	3.1	87
Banana, 1 medium	3.1	105
Orange, raw, 1 medium	3.1	62
Oat bran muffin, 1 small	3.0	178
Guava, 1 medium	3.0	37
Pearled barley, cooked, ½ cup	3.0	97
Sauerkraut, canned, solids, and liquids, ½ cup	3.0	23
Tomato paste, ¼ cup	2.9	54
Winter squash, cooked, ½ cup	2.9	38
Broccoli, cooked, ½ cup	2.8	26
Parsnips, cooked, chopped, ½ cup	2.8	55
Turnip greens, cooked, ½ cup	2.5	15
Collards, cooked, ½ cup	2.7	25
Okra, frozen, cooked, ½ cup	2.6	26
Peas, edible-podded, cooked, ½ cup	2.5	42