Digestive Tract Cleanse with Wholegrains
Fight Coelic, Irritable Bowel, Diverticulosis and Colon Cancer
Oct 12, 2009
Phytonutrients are thought to be responsible for many of the health benefits of wholegrain foods along with their high fibre content. Fibre is the part of food not digested by the body and is key to a successful digestive tract cleanse. It passes through the intestinal tract without being broken down, cleansing the intestine and adding very few, if any, calories to the diet. High fibre intake helps reduce the risk of irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulosis and colon cancer. Other benefits are the satiating effect it has and its ability to control blood sugar levels.
Soluble Fibre
When soluble fibre comes into contact with liquid, it becomes sticky, rather like a gel, which binds with cholesterol and bile acids in the intestine and eliminates them from the body. Soluble fibre is also fermented in the large intestine by bacterial flora, that generate short-chain fatty acids. These are absorbed by the body and are an important metabolite for intestinal cells. Because of this and because they are not fully digested and absorbed, soluble fibre provides about two kcal/g: This is less than other carbohydrates (at around four kcal/g).
Insoluble Fibre
Insoluble fibre does not dissolve in water. It swells and absorbs water and speeds up bowel transit time, together with mucous released from the epithelial cells of the intestinal walls. This effectively cleanses the digestive tract by moving potentially toxic substances out of the system more rapidly. Insoluble fibre is not digested so can be regarded as calorie free. Most plant foods contain both types of fibre. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that people who regularly eat wholegrain foods are less likely to suffer from diabetes, heart disease coeliac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulosis and colon cancer. To be wholegrain, a food must retain all three structural components of the grain which are bran, germ and endosperm.
Coeliac Disease
People with coeliac disease are intolerant to gluten, but they need not be deprived of the benefits of wholegrains because many of these are gluten free. These include amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, montina, quinoa, rice, sorghum and wild rice. Oats are also gluten-free; however, they are often grown alongside other cereals that are not, so the other grains can be inadvertently mixed in during harvesting. Specially processed oats are available for gluten intolerant people.
How to get More Wholegrains
Swap white bread for wholemeal, switch from white to brown pasta and rice and introduce more of a variety of grains, such as quinoa and wholegrain couscous into your diet. Most fruit and vegetables also contain high amounts of both soluble and insoluble fibre.
 |
