Abstract

The average adult in Britain eats about 6 g of cereal fibre a day. The fibre derived from bran is unusual in that a high proportion escapes fermentation in the colon and so can influence large bowel function. Bran comes from the outer layers of wheat grain and its fibre content varies from 30–50% depending on the milling process and on the variety of wheat. Foods rich in bran include wholemeal bread, whole grain biscuits and selected breakfast cereals.