Don’t Be Fibre-Fooled

Fibre is integral to digesting meals well, assimilating nutrients and excreting waste products. But it’s best to encounter it through foods that naturally contain it, such as grains, pulses, sprouts, vegetables, fruits, rather than adding dollops of extra fibre to your atta.

My one big reason for saying that is: zinc. Zinc is a micronutrient our body needs. It plays a critical role  in synthesising Insulin Degrading Enzyme (IDE), which keeps our insulin in balance. Adding excessive amounts of  fibre to our meals reduces our ability to absorb zinc and synthesise ide. Often it is the very people to whom fibre is aggressively marketed for its claimed health benefits who need to worry about their insulin levels; they suffer from a condition called hyperinsulinemia, commonly associated with diabetes and weight gain.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating that you should switch to maida instead of eating wheat, which has plenty of natural fibre.  Eat fibre-rich foods, they are good for you—but stay clear of fibre ‘enriched’ breads and cereals. As for biscuits, eat the ones you love, rather than the fibre-enriched ones that you think are ‘healthier’. And remember: If you really want to lose weight, you shouldn’t be eating biscuits at all.

(A fortnightly column on nutrition and fitness by the best-selling author of Don’t Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight)