Features

Fibre is an essential part of the human diet and contributes to our overall well-being. The consumption of dietary fibre is associated with reducing the risk of certain diseases, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity, and also helps to reduce the occurrence of constipation, diverticulosis and other disorders of the digestive tract.

Dietary fibre is an integral part of many naturally-occurring substances such as grains, cereal products, fruit and vegetables. Governmental institutions are advocating increasing whole grains and fruit and vegetables in the diet as part of a reduction in disease risk strategy.

Obesity and the associated health problems are already a massive public health issue, both for the developed and, increasingly, the developing world. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in 2005 1.6 billion adults were overweight and at least 400 million adults were obese. By 2015, WHO predicts that approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million adults will be obese. The health consequences of obesity range from an increased risk of premature death to debilitating complaints that negatively affect the quality of life. Obesity is a major risk factor for diseases such as Non-Insulin Dependant Diabetes (NIDD), cardiovascular disease (heart disease, stroke and hypertension) and cancer.

This article is available in full in the Autumn 2008 issue of Nutraceuticals Now