Fibre
Fibre (or roughage) comes from minimally processed plant foods such as legumes, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables. It cannot be completely broken down by our digestive system, so reaches the large bowel undigested where it’s fermented by bacteria. The fermentation process plus the by-products of the fermentation (short chain fatty acids and gases) contribute to the beneficial effects on health. There are two forms of fibre – soluble which dissolves in water into a gel-like substance, slowing bowel function and keeping you fuller for longer; and insoluble which doesn’t dissolve but absorbs water providing bulk and moisture to stools which provides a natural laxative effect.
Fibre is generally thought of as beneficial for keeping you regular but has far reaching benefits including improving gut health (feeding your good gut bacteria), boosting immunity, managing cholesterol and blood sugar levels, weight management, and reducing the risk of some cancers, heart disease and diabetes. Recommendations are for men to eat 30g per day and women 25g (recommendations are even higher to reduce chronic disease risk). However most of us don’t meet these recommendations. One serving of fruit or veges generally has around 3-5g, 1 serving legumes eg. lentils has around 5-8g, 1 cup grains eg. oats has around 5g, nuts and seeds around 3g per serving, and 2 slices of wholegrain bread has around 4g.
Tips for eating more fibre:
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5 +++ a day of fruit and veges, keep the skin on!
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choose high fibre breakfast cereals such as porridge or granola
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add nuts, bran, psyllium husk, LSA, chia seeds to cereal, smoothies or yoghurt
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have half your lunch and dinner meals veges (¼ carbs, ¼ protein)
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add chickpeas, beans and lentils to meals
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eat wholegrain bread and pasta, and brown rice
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eat a variety of grains such as oats, quinoa, barley and buckwheat
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have a vegetarian meal 3 times per week
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have nuts and seeds, popcorn, vege sticks, fruit as snacks
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check the label: around 5g per serve is a high fibre option
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Increase your fibre intake slowly to avoid bloating and gas, and be sure to increase your water intake because without fluid the fibre stays hard which can cause constipation.
Bottom line
Consuming enough fibre is important for overall health and disease prevention, yet we don’t eat enough. Build your diet around whole plant foods to increase your fibre intake. And remember fibre supplements don’t provide the micronutrients or phytochemicals found in real food, so try to meet your requirements through food first.
