Food Supplements - Fibre - Ailments / Situations Where Used

Cellulose helps prevent constipation and promotes overall digestive function. As most plant matter contains cellulose, incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet will more than provide you with this type of fibre.

Hemicellulose also helps relieve constipation and, as with other fibres, fills the stomach and reduces appetite. As a result, it may prove beneficial in dealing with weight management issues.

Cellulose and hemicellulose both facilitate the elimination of cancer-causing compounds in the intestinal tract.

Psyllium seed husk is often used as an effective laxative. Indeed, the majority of commercial laxative preparations use the husk of this grain as their base ingredient. Ground flaxseed can be used for the same effect.

Lignin helps lower high cholesterol levels and is found to benefit people with diabetes or colon cancer. As this type of fibre binds with bile acids and helps reduce cholesterol, it is also quite effective at preventing gallstone formation. Lignin also lowers estrogen levels by promoting its excretion via urine. For this reason, lignin may help prevent against breast cancer.

Pectin slows transit time through the digestive tract and reduces the body's need for insulin, making it ideal for people with diabetes. As with lignin, it lowers high cholesterol, prevents gallstone formation, and reduces the risk of heart disease. Pectin also helps eliminate heavy metals and other toxins. Many cleansing and elimination programs focus on increased pectin intake primarily through apple consumption.

In general, soluble fibres lower cholesterol, while insoluble fibres help prevent heart disease. Regarding diabetes, soluble fibres lower blood sugar and decrease the need for insulin, while insoluble fibres help prevent against adult-onset diabetes. All types of fibre (excluding those from wheat) reduce symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome. Insoluble fibres relieve constipation by increasing transit time through the body.