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.
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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 Advertisement |
78 |
| Kidney beans, canned, ½ cup |
8.2 |
109 |
| Split peas, cooked, ½ cup |
8.1 |
116 Advertisement |
| Lentils, cooked, ½ cup |
7.8 |
115 |
| Black beans, cooked, ½ cup |
7.5 |
114 |
| Pinto beans, cooked, ½ cup |
7.7 Advertisement |
122 |
| Lima beans, cooked, ½ cup |
6.6 |
108 |
| Artichoke, globe, cooked, 1 each |
6.5 |
60 Advertisement |
| White beans, canned, ½ cup |
6.3 |
154 |
| Chickpeas, cooked, ½ cup |
6.2 |
135 |
| Great northern beans, cooked, ½ cup |
6.2 Advertisement |
105 |
| Cowpeas, cooked, ½ cup |
5.6 |
100 |
| Soybeans, mature, cooked, ½ cup |
5.2 |
149 Advertisement |
| 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 Advertisement |
131 |
| Asian pear, raw, 1 small |
4.4 |
51 |
| Green peas, cooked, ½ cup |
4.4 |
67 Advertisement |
| Whole-wheat English muffin, 1 each |
4.4 |
134 |
| Pear, raw, 1 small |
4.3 |
81 |
| Bulgur, cooked, ½ cup |
4.1 Advertisement |
76 |
| Mixed vegetables, cooked, ½ cup |
4.0 |
59 |
| Raspberries, raw, ½ cup |
4.0 |
32 Advertisement |
| 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 Advertisement |
161 |
| Soybeans, green, cooked, ½ cup |
3.8 |
127 |
| Stewed prunes, ½ cup |
3.8 |
133 Advertisement |
| Figs, dried, ¼ cup |
3.7 |
93 |
| Dates, ¼ cup |
3.6 |
126 |
| Oat bran, raw, ¼ cup |
3.6 Advertisement |
58 |
| Pumpkin, canned, ½ cup |
3.6 |
42 |
| Spinach, frozen, cooked, ½ cup |
3.5 |
30 Advertisement |
| 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 Advertisement |
72 |
| Brussels sprouts, frozen, cooked, ½ cup |
3.2 |
33 |
| Whole-wheat spaghetti, cooked, ½ cup |
3.1 |
87 Advertisement |
| Banana, 1 medium |
3.1 |
105 |
| Orange, raw, 1 medium |
3.1 |
62 |
| Oat bran muffin, 1 small |
3.0 Advertisement |
178 |
| Guava, 1 medium |
3.0 |
37 |
| Pearled barley, cooked, ½ cup |
3.0 |
97 Advertisement |
| Sauerkraut, canned, solids, and liquids, ½ cup |
3.0 |
23 |
| Tomato paste, ¼ cup |
2.9 |
54 |
| Winter squash, cooked, ½ cup |
2.9 Advertisement |
38 |
| Broccoli, cooked, ½ cup |
2.8 |
26 |
| Parsnips, cooked, chopped, ½ cup |
2.8 |
55 Advertisement |
| Turnip greens, cooked, ½ cup |
2.5 |
15 |
| Collards, cooked, ½ cup |
2.7 |
25 |
| Okra, frozen, cooked, ½ cup |
2.6 Advertisement |
26 |
| Peas, edible-podded, cooked, ½ cup |
2.5 |
42  |
