Fibre linked to health

Press, 21 August 1984, Page 24

Fibre linked to health

Most people are aware of the importance of dietary fibre to good health. Insufficient fibre has been associated with constipation and some bowel diseases.

Fibre, or roughage, is the indigestible part of vegetable foods, including grain and citrus fruits.

Its function is to create bulk in the digestive tract to help the excretion of waste materials. Some dietitians believe fibre can help in caloriecontrolled diets to reduce overweight.

Many medical authorities believe New Zealanders do not take enough dietary fibre. Some popular fast foods contain very little, while other foods like white rice and flour have most of their fibre discarded during the refining process.

Yet in countries where refined foods and fast foods are rare, bowel disorders and overweight are rare. The message is clear. For the sake of our health we should eat more dietary fibre.

The obvious solution is to eat fibre-rich foods like bran, brown rice, wholemeal bread, nuts,

fruit and raw or lightly cooked vegetables. One of the recommended alternatives comes in tablet form. The refining of food started because man believed he was throwing away the worthless part of the food. Unfortunately it turned out to be food's natural fibre content. For instance, when whole wheat flour is refined to make white flour, the hard outer husk of the wheat kernel is discarded. But the husk form is a form of natural fibre and thus is just as important to the functioning of the human body as the part of the wheat , which is kept.

In wartime England, coarse flow (a fibrous byproduct of refining) was used to make the grain supply stretchfurther, The result, a "general improvement in health" * was noted. And the incidence of constipation and diarrhoea was said to have declined.

Many dietitians say most people on healthy diets eat only 20 grams

of fibre a day. This is regarded, for high-fibre weight control, as 15 grams less

than the minimum required. The problem with lowcalorie diets is it is easy to tire of the limited amount,.of foods available. Fibyrax is a naturally sourced blend of four kinds of citrus fruit and grain fibre compressed into tablets. It is neither a chemical slimming product nor a laxative, but a dietary supplement which cap help achieve gradual, lasting weight control and regular, smooth digestion. HOW TO TAKE FIBYRAX DIETARY FIBRE TABLETS TO HELP YOU REDUCE WEIGHT - AND KEEP IT DOWN. The number of Fibyrax tablets that are taken can be adjusted to suit personal habits and lifestyle. The following guide may help. ® As an aid to weight loss: Take 3-6 tablets with a full glass of water 15-30 minutes before each meal. It is important to drink plenty of liquid with the tablets for optimum effect Increase the intake of coarse bread, and fruit and vegetables. Cut down on fat and sugar.

Additional tablets may be taken during the day to appease hunger. An improvement should soon be noticeable in digestion — the bathroom scales proving the point. This will continue gradually, in the way most experts recommend for longer-lasting results. However, Fibyrax can only help in losing weight when taken as part of a controlled diet. • Keeping the weight off once you've lost it. For sustained weight control and continued good digestion, fewer tablets should be necessary. Taking 3-6 Fibyrax tablets with a full glass of water 15-30 minutes before each meal is a very convenient way to boost daily fibre intake, rehabilitate the intestinal tract and improve digestion by easing food smoothly and efficiently through your system. If a diet has been low in fibre, it may be noticed that eliminations (bowel movements) are more or less frequent than before, as the body adjusts to the healthier level of fibre intake. Some flatulence may also occur.