The Power of Dietary Fibre

Dietary fibre is a component of all plant foods. It passes through your stomach and intestines relatively unchanged providing a variety of benefits along the way.

There are a few main types of dietary fibre:

• Soluble fibre, which gelatinises in water. It can help to lower cholesterol levels and regulate blood sugar levels. Foods rich in soluble fibre include oats, chia seeds, and apples with the skin on.
• Insoluble fibre, which does not dissolve in water. It adds bulk to the stool and helps to move food through your digestive system, promoting regularity and preventing constipation. Foods rich in insoluble fibre include wheat bran, brown rice, and legumes.
• Resistant starch, which is a prebiotic fibre. It feeds the good bacteria in the gut. Foods rich in resistant starch include cooked and cooled potatoes and grains.

Guidelines recently published by the World Health Organisation highlight evidence that higher dietary fibre intake is associated with reduced risk of developing and/or dying from cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

Dietary fibre recommendations for adults are at least 25-30 grams per day. As dietary fibre is found in all plant foods, eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds will support you in reaching this recommendation.

Here are some tips for increasing your fibre intake:

• Eat whole fruits and vegetables as opposed to juices as the fibre from the fruit is removed in the juicing process.
• Choose whole grains: opt for wholegrain bread, wraps, and crackers. Choose wholemeal pasta, brown rice, and other grains such as quinoa and bulghur wheat.
• Add high-fibre foods to current meals. Have ground flaxseeds with yoghurt, add tbsp of almonds to your salad, or chuck a can of chickpeas or beans into your casserole or soup.
• Use our guide below to choose a higher-fibre cereal.
• Fill half of your dinner plate with non-starchy vegetables.