The link between dietary fibre and human health

The dietary pattern of humans has shifted towards a diet in which refined grains, meat, added fats and sugar are common and vegetable protein and fibre intake is low. This change in diet and the shift to a sedentary lifestyle is largely responsible for the increased prevalence of obesity and chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Over the past forty years, traditional dietary approaches have been investigated as a remedy to these chronic diseases. In addition to high fibre diets, other dietary tools such as the dietary glycaemic index have been developed, which also link carbohydrate metabolism to chronic diseases. The current body of scientific literature supports the notion that high fibre diets are important in prevention and management of the aforementioned chronic diseases. However, these benefits may be amplified when dietary fibre intake is in the context of a low GI diet.