READ THE PASSAGE BELOW AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT FOLLOW: THE TERM DIETARY FIBRES REFERS COLLECTIVELY TO’ INDIGESTIBLE CARBOHYDRATES PRESENT IN PLANT FOODS. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE THESE DIETARY FIBRES CAME INTO THE PICTURE WHEN IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE PEOPLE HAVING DIET RICH IN THESE FIBRES, HAD LOW INCIDENCE OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE, IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME,’DENTAL CARIES AND GALL STONES.THE FOODSTUFFS RICH IN THESE DIETARY FIBRES ARE CEREALS AND GRAINS, LEGUMES, FRUITS WITH SEEDS, CITRUS FRUITS, CARROTS, CABBAGE, GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES, APPLES, MELONS, PEACHES, PEARS ETC. THESE DIETARY FIBRES ARE NOT DIGESTED BY THE ENZYMES OF THE STOMACH ‘AND THE SMALL INTESTINE WHEREAS, MOST OF THE OTHER CARBOHYDRATES LIKE STARCH AND SUGAR ARE DIGESTED AND ABSORBED. THE DIETARY FIBRES HAVE THE PROPERTY OF HOLDING WATER AND BECAUSE OF IT, THESE GET SWOLLEN AND BEHAVE LIKE A SPONGE AS THESE PASS THROUGH THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT. THE FIBRES ADD BULK TO THE DIET AND INCREASE TRANSIT TIME IN THE GUT. SOME OF THESE FIBRES MAY UNDERGO FERMENTATION IN THE COLON. IN RECENT YEARS, IT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL TO HAVE SOME AMOUNT OF FIBRES IN THE DIET. THEIR BENEFICIAL EFFECTS HELP IN PREVENTING CORONARY HEART DISEASE, AND DECREASING CHOLESTEROL LEVELS. THE FIBRES LIKE GUMS AND PECTIN ARE REPORTED TO DECREASE’ POSTPRANDIAL (AFTER MEALS) GLUCOSE LEVEL IN BLOOD. THESE TYPES OF DIETARY FIBRES ATE RECOMMENDED FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CERTAIN TYPES OF DIABETES. RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE FENUGREEK (METHI) SEEDS, WHICH CONTAIN 40 PER CENT GUM, ARE EFFECTIVE IN DECREASING BLOOD GLUCOSE AND CHOLESTEROL LEVELS AS I COMPARED TO OTHER GUM CONTAINING VEGETABLES. SOME DIETARY FIBRES INCREASE TRANSIT TIME AND DECREASE THE TIME OF RELEASE OF INGESTED FOOD IN COLON. THE DIET HAVING LESS FIBRES IS ASSOCIATED WITH COLON CANCER AND THE DIETARY FIBRES MAY PLAY A ROLE IN DECREASING THE RISK OF IT. THE DIETARY FIBRES HOLD WATER SO THAT STOOLS ARE SOFT, BULKY AND READILY ELIMINATED. THEREFORE HIGH FIBRE INTAKE PREVENTS OR RELIEVES CONSTIPATION. THE FIBRES INCREASE MOTILITY OF THE SMALL INTESTINE AND THE COLON AND BY DECREASING THE TRANSIT TIME THERE IS LESS TIME’ FOR EXPOSURE OF THE MUCOSA TO HARMFUL TOXIC SUBSTANCES. THEREFORE, THERE IS A LESS, DESIRE TO EAT AND THE ENERGY INTAKE CAN BE MAINTAINED WITHIN THE RANGE OF REQUIREMENT. THIS PHENOMENON HELPS IN KEEPING A CHECK ON OBESITY ANOTHER REASON IN HELPING TO DECREASE OBESITY IS THAT THE HIGH-FIBRE DIETS HAVE SOMEWHAT LOWER COEFFICIENTS OF DIGESTIBILITY. THE DIETARY FIBRES MAY HAVE SOME ADVERSE EFFECTS ON NUTRITION BY BINDING SOME TRACE METALS LIKE CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, PHOSPHORUS, ZINC AND OTHERS AND THEREFORE PREVENTING THEIR PROPER ABSORPTION. THIS MAY POSE A POSSIBILITY OF NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY ESPECIALLY WHEN DIETS CONTAIN MARGINAL LEVELS OF MINERAL ELEMENTS. THIS MAY BECOME AN IMPORTANT CONSTRAINT ON INCREASING DIETARY FIBRES. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT AN INTAKE OF 40 GRAMS DIETARY FIBRES PER DAY IS DESIRABLE. ON THE BASIS OF YOUR READING OF THE ABOVE PASSAGE, MAKE NOTES IN POINTS ONLY, USING ABBREVIATIONS WHEREVER NECESSARY. SUPPLY A SUITABLE TITLE.
