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Everything you need to know about fibre
We hear people talking about fibre and we need it in our diet, but do you really understand it.
What is fibre?
Fibre commonly known as the bulk; it includes the part of plant food the body can't digest.
Unlike other food components, such as fats, proteins, or carbohydrates — which your body breaks down and absorbs — fibre isn’t digested by your body. Instead, it passes relatively intact through your stomach, small intestine, and colon and out of your body.
There are 2 different types of fibre – soluble and insoluble. Both are important for health, digestion, and preventing diseases.
• Soluble fibre attracts water and turns to gel during digestion. This slows digestion. Soluble fibre is found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas, and some fruits and vegetables. It is also found in psyllium, a common fibre supplement. Some types of soluble fibre may help lower risk of heart disease.
• Insoluble fibre is found in foods such as wheat bran, vegetables, and whole grains. It adds bulk to the stool and appears to help food pass more quickly through the stomach and intestines.
Age 50 or younger Age 51 or older
Men | 38 Grams per day | 30 grams per day |
Women | 25 grams per day | 21 grams per day |
Main benefits of a high fibre diet
· Helps with bowel health: A high-fibre diet may lower your risk of developing haemorrhoids and small pouches in your colon (diverticular disease).
· Helps control blood sugar level: For people with diabetes insoluble fibre can help improve blood sugars and the absorption of sugars.
· Helps with bowel movements: Fibre softens your stool which in turn makes it easier to pass.
· Helps with weight loss: High fibre foods are usually more filling than low fibre foods, so you're likely to eat less and stay satisfied longer. High fibre foods tend to take longer to eat and to be less "energy dense" which means they have fewer calories for the same volume of food.
· Lowers Cholesterol: Soluble fibre found in beans, oats, flaxseed, and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein or "bad” cholesterol levels.
· Keeps our gut microbiome healthy: Fibre can provide your bacteria with things like amino acids and proteins that those bacteria need in order to maintain healthy, stable growth. When your bacteria feed off of these compounds within fibre, they maintain a steady rate of growth. Populating your gut with enough beneficial bacteria can help send nutrients to your body and necessary information to your brain, which then directs how your body responds to these nutrients.
What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Fibre?
Without enough fibre in the diet, you will face the constant urge to binge on snacks or sweets and also have irregular bowels, blood sugar spikes, gut issues like bloating, indigestion, etc.
In the long run, lack of fibre can contribute to heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.
If you’re not getting enough dietary fibre, it’s important to talk to your doctor/nutritionist about possible supplements or changes to your diet that can help fulfil your requirements.
Fruit | Serving Size | Fibre Total |
Orange | 1 medium | 3.0 |
Pear | 1 medium | 5.5 |
Apple with skin | 1 medium | 4.5 |
Banana | 1 medium | 3.0 |
Strawberries | 1 cup | 3.0 |
Raspberries | 1 cup | 8.0 |
Vegetable | Serving Size | Fibre Total |
Green Peas | 1 cup | 9.0 |
Broccoli | 1 cup | 5.0 |
Sweet corn | 1 cup | 3.5 |
Carrot | 1 medium | 1.5 |
Potato with skin | 1 medium | 4.0 |
Brussel sprouts | 1 cup | 4.0 |
Grain | Serving size | Total fibre |
Spaghetti Wholemeal | 1 cup | 3.0 |
Bran Flakes | 3/4 cups | 5.5 |
Brown rice | 1 cup | 3.5 |
Popcorn | 3 cups | 3.5 |
Bread Wholemeal | 1 slice | 2.0 |
Tips on hitting your fibre everyday:
· Make Breakfast count: Breakfast is a great meal to kickstart your day, but with fortified cereals loaded with fibre and the option of adding in extra chia seeds or flaxseed, this will set your day up right.
· Wholegrains: If you find it hard to hit your daily fibre needs maybe switching to wholegrain foods will help.
· Eat more fruit & Vegetables: Fruit and vegetables are a very easy way to add more fibre in. Adding a piece of fruit after lunch and filling your dinner plate will go a long way.
· Snacks: Snacking on nuts with help massively.
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