India, Jan. 20 -- Fibre is an important part of the daily diet and is well known for helping with bowel movements. According to the Mayo Clinic website, dietary fibre is a form of carbohydrate derived from plants that cannot be digested or absorbed by the body. They can be broadly categorised into two types: soluble and insoluble.

The former dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance in the stomach and slows down digestion. It is found in oats, peas, beans and psyllium, and helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar. The latter, as the name suggests, does not dissolve in water, and simply provides bulk to the food materials and helps them move down the digestive tract. Such fibres are present in whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, and...