the part of food that cannot be digested and absorbed to produce energy. Dietary fibre falls into four groups: cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignins, and pectins. Highly refined foods, such as sucrose, contain no dietary fibre. Foods with a high fibre content include wholemeal cereals and flour, root vegetables, nuts, and fruit. Dietary fibre is considered by some to be helpful in the prevention of many of the diseases of Western civilization, such as diverticulosis, constipation, appendicitis, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. Communities consuming high-fibre diets very rarely have any of these diseases.
Medical dictionary. 2011.