It’s possibly one of the least sexy subjects when it comes to discussing a healthy diet, but with the growth in scientific research and public interest in the link between gut health and our general wellbeing, fibre is finally getting the publicity it deserves. The fact is that most of us don’t get nearly enough fibre every day, and while we might be happy to have conversations with friends about the protein content of our favourite breakfast or the latest no-added-sugar snack we’ve discovered, we’re not always keen to chat about our bowel movements.
So what exactly is fibre? Put simply, it’s the parts of plant-based carbohydrates that unlike the other components – such as sugar and starch – can’t be digested in the small intestine. So, along with other indigestible plant components like lignin (a polymer in plants that helps make them rigid or woody), fibre moves along to the large intestine and colon, where it has a vital housekeeping role, bulking up waste products and helping them move through the digestive tract more quickly to avoid painful problems such as constipation.
Registered nutritionist Anita Bean says fibre also plays an important role in keeping our microbiome balanced. ‘Fibre helps to keep the gut healthy by encouraging the smooth passage of food through the digestive system, but it also feeds the population of bacteria, viruses and yeasts (microbiota) that live in in your large intestine,’ she says. ‘These microbes produce chemicals (such as short-chain fatty acids) that help increase immunity and lower inflammation. They also make vitamins and brain chemicals, and influence your appetite, mood and weight. The best way to nurture your gut microbes is by eating a diverse diet rich in fibre, fruit, vegetables, polyphenols and probiotics.’
While we’re all more aware of the symbiotic relationship between the billions of hard-working microscopic passengers in our gut and the quality of our general health these days thanks to a steady stream of new scientific discoveries, the fact is that many of us are still not getting enough fibre every day. ‘The UK’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition recommends 30g of fibre a day for adults, which is quite a bit more than the average of 19g per day,’ says Anita.
Put simply, eating fermented kimchi and kombucha and other trendy gut-friendly foods isn’t enough – we need to be eating more basic, fibre-rich foods and the good news is the best sources are often everyday ingredients too. Simply upping your intake of fruit and vegetables will help, but basic foods such as porridge, beans on wholegrain toast and jacket potatoes are all great sources of fibre too.
One of the reasons behind our low fibre intake may be the fashion for low carbohydrate eating, including more extreme approaches such as the paleo and keto diets, which have made some of these fibre-rich carbohydrates the ‘enemy’ as they generally – and unfairly – get the blame for causing weight gain. ‘Low carbohydrate diets have become popular over the last few years, but while they may result in short-term weight loss, this isn’t because there is anything magical about them. It simply due to the fact that people consume fewer calories,’ explains Anita.
‘When you cut carbohydrates, you’re eating fewer sugary snacks, chips and chocolate, and more protein, which makes you feel less hungry. But one of the main problems with low carbohydrate diets is that they are difficult for many people to stick to for longer than a few months. Long-term studies lasting more than a year have found that low carbohydrates are no more effective for weight loss than other diets. Furthermore, people who follow low carbohydrate diets often have low intakes of fibre, which can have a negative effect on your gut health.’
And according to the British Nutrition Foundation, these negative effects can be serious. They say that a diet low in dietary fibre can lead to other health issues such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. However, foods such as oats and barley contain a type of fibre known as beta glucan, which may help to reduce cholesterol levels if you consume 3g or more of it daily, as part of a healthy diet. Bowel cancer is another serious potential health problem and the World Cancer Research Fund estimates that 45% of bowel cancers could be prevented through diet, physical activity and weight management.
So what more encouragement do you need to start eating porridge in the morning?
How much fibre do I need?
Age
- 2-5 – 15g per day
- 5-11 – 20g per day
- 11-16 – 25g per day
- 17 and over – 30g per day
Typical fibre amounts:
- 1 banana (100g) – 1.5g fibre
- 150g baked beans – 6.8g fibre
- 100g strawberries – 1.5g fibre
- 13g almonds – 1.3g fibre
- 40g bran flakes – 8g fibre
- 1 apple – 2.4g fibre
- 2 slices wholemeal bread (70g) – 4.7g fibre
- 150g low fat yoghurt – 0g fibre
10 easy ways to boost your fibre intake
With just a few easy switches, you’ll be on your way to 30g a day in no time. But just remember, a higher fibre diet means you need to drink plenty of fluids (6-8 glasses of water a day is recommended) and get plenty of exercise to keep your gut moving too.
- Oats – nutritionists do love to go on about oats, but this superfood is also a super source of fibre. If you or your family aren’t fans of porridge, oats can be whizzed into smoothies, used in crumble toppings, baked into bread, pancakes or low sugar flapjacks, or try oatcakes for snacks instead of biscuits.
- Other high fibre cereals are a good choice too – try wholegrain varieties such as wholewheat biscuits, shredded wheat, no added sugar muesli or bran flakes.
- Boost the fibre content of your breakfast cereal or yoghurt by topping with extra fresh or dried fruit, seeds and nuts.
- Encourage your family to eat wholegrain bread. You could try half white-and-half-wholemeal to start with if your family is used to white bread, or have a go at making your own bread and you can add extra goodness with ingredients such as seeds or oats.
- Don’t peel your spuds – make jacket potatoes, new potatoes and wedges with the skins on.
- Always use wholegrains such as wholewheat pasta, bulgur wheat, spelt, barley and brown rice.
- For snacks, skip the crisps and biscuits and choose vegetable sticks, fruit, rye crackers and unsalted nuts and seeds.
- Every time you make a curry, stew or salad, toss in some pulses such as lentils, chickpeas or butter beans.
- Ensure you always have fibre-rich foods available even if you haven’t had time to shop – keep some tinned fruit in natural juice and frozen vegetables in the freezer for quick desserts or side dishes.
- Always add extra fruit and veg to every meal – serve side salads or a bowl of crudités with main courses and add fruit to desserts, such as berries with ice cream.