Fibre unravelled

Broadly, fibre is a group of carbohydrates that pass through our bodies undigested. There are different types of fibre, and they have unique effects on our bodies. Regular fruit and vegetable,and wholegrain foods are a great way to get fibre into our diet so that we can get all the health benefits. According to a recent YouGov poll, only 25% of survey participants eat five or more daily fruits and vegetables. However, about 60% say their eating habits are ‘fairly healthy.

Choose a variety of fibre rich foods

UK fibre recommendations:

• Children

2 to 5 year-olds: need about 15g of fibre a day

5 to 11 year-olds: need about 20g

11 to 16 year-olds: need about 25g

• Adults: 30g a day

• Older adults: 20g a day

Fibre has many benefits for our health and can reduce the risk of constipation, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and colorectal/rectal and colon cancer.

Benefits:

• Increase satiation (feeling fuller for longer)

• Decrease glucose ‘spikes’ after high carbohydrate meals (slow release of energy)

• Promotes decreased overall energy intake

• Reduce fat storage

Foods:

• Legumes

• Vegetables

• Fruits

• Nuts and Seeds

• Cereals

Let’s look at the two main fibre groups, soluble and insoluble fibre.

Soluble fibre

• A potential prebiotic – fermented in the colon (large intestine)

• Reduces cholesterol in the body

• Reduces the amount of glucose absorbed in the body (in the small intestine)

• Dissolves in water

• Oats - oat bran and isolated β-glucans lead to lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations and lower blood pressure.

• Psyllium husk – lowers fasting total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentration. Psyllium supplements increase bowel motion frequency (but with mixed results)

e.g. the flesh of fruits and vegetables, oats

Insoluble fibre

• Speeds up gut transit time

• Adds bulk to our stool

• Regulates bowel habits

• Does not dissolve in water – has a laxative effect through water absorption

e.g. skins and fibrous fruit and veg, bran cereals

Take a moment to reflect on your regular meals. Then, make a note of a few changes you could make to your diet to increase your daily fibre intake.