Gut Issues Essay, Research Paper

We share many experiences with the kings of old:

pastries, for instance, and home entertainment and

vacation trips to far-off lands. Ancient-day

common folk knew nothing of such things. Then

again, they weren’t constipated… We are. Not all

of us, of course. But enough Canadians so that

some doctors call our a constipated society. And

even if you’re not constipated, your present day

diet may be leading you to more serious

complaints like disorders of the large intestine or

colon. These, too, were afflictions of of the upper

classes of old. Why? Because in general the rich

refined their food, along with their lives, and so

stripped it of an odd but essential ingredient called

dietary fibre. Like its fellow carbohydrates, the

various types of dietary fibre are the product of

sunlight, water and carbon dioxide combining in

green plants. Most form part of plant cell walls.

But unlike the other carbohydrates, fibres do not

break down into sugars in the human digestive

system and then course through the blood stream

fueling muscles and nerves. Rather, when eaten

they tumble intact through the stomach and small

intestine and end up in the colon where billions of

bacterial feed on them – in turn producing intestinal

gas. No wonder, then, that dietary fibre has been

unwelcome in many of history’s nicer

neighborhoods. Even 20th century doctors

reasoned that since the bulky material provided

not a single nutrient, it would only strain already

troubled guts. Accordingly, they recommended

low-fibre diets for patients suffering from

hemorrhoids and other colon disorders often

found in the West. But then, about 15 years ago,

the prescription was reversed as researchers

found that poor Africans, who eats lots of fibre,

rarely suffer from such complaints. Fibre, the

researchers learned, actually eases the bowel’s

burden by mixing with water and other food

residues to create large, Soon, nutritionists came

to see the low-fibre diet of most North Americans

as a culprit in the onset of disorders ranging from

tooth decay to heart attacks. Increasing the

consumption of certain kinds of fibre, they found,

could slow the body’s absorption of sugars to

which diabetics are sensitive, and of cholesterol,

which may lead to heart disease. Furthermore,

fibres fight obesity. They’re filling, especially the

pectins in citrus fruit and the gums in some beans.

And they’re mainly indigestible. So dieters eating

lots of fibre are likely to eat less of other, more

fattening foodstuffs. As for why populations on

high-fibre diets seem to experience fewer colon

cancers, no one knows for sure. In any case, there

is no doubt that fibre is nature’s laxative, the

dietary key to regularity. Nutritionists therefore

advise you to stay away from foods containing

processed and refined ingredients such as

bleached flour and white sugar. Remember that

meats contain little fibre and that overcooked

vegetables and fried foods have lost much of

theirs. Nevertheless, fibre supplements are usually

unnecessary. Merely ensure that your diet is full of

fresh fruits and vegetables – and some of the most

fibrous foods such as bran cereals, whole wheat

breads, peas, beans and lentils – and you, too, can

eat like an old-time pauper.