When it comes to fibre in our diets, health advice recommends we consume 30g a day but fewer than one in 10 adults meet this target, with average intakes falling short at just 20g daily.
But managing to eat that extra 10g per day could make all the difference to your health. These are seven benefits that could help you lead a longer, fitter life:
HEALTHY HEARTS: Good intakes of fibre are linked to a lower risk of heart disease. When the results of 31 studies were looked at together, scientists concluded those who consumed the highest amounts of fibre reduced their chances of having a stroke and developing coronary heart disease (which occurs when the arteries narrow) by up to 24 per cent.
Fibre works its heart health magic by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and helping us maintain our weight. In particular, oats and barley stand out as they contain a type of fibre called beta glucan that’s proven to lower cholesterol.
SLASH DIABETES RISK: Enjoying a good intake of fibre-filled wholegrains – especially wholegrain breakfast cereals, oats, dark breads, brown rice and wheatgerm – seems to protect against type-2 diabetes according to research in the British Medical Journal.
When the results of three large studies were looked at together, people who ate the most wholegrains were 29 per cent less likely to develop the condition than those who ate the least. How fibre offers this protection remains unclear, but it may help with long-term control of blood glucose levels or make it easier to manage our weight.
This is important, as losing weight, if necessary – even small amounts – tops the list for preventing type 2 diabetes. One study found the risk of developing the condition dropped by 16 per cent for every kilogram lost.
KEEP CANCER IN CHECK: One of the main cancer prevention recommendations from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) is to make wholegrains, vegetables, fruit, beans and lentils, a major part of our daily diet. There’s strong evidence that wholegrains and fibre-filled foods protect against colorectal or bowel cancer, the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with around 120 cases diagnosed each day.
The benefit may come from fibre helping to move food through the large intestine more quickly so that any cancer-causing compounds spend less time in contact with the bowel. Some short-chain fatty acids created by the fermentation of fibre by gut bacteria may also protect against bowel cancer.
The WCRF also says fibre-filled foods help protect against obesity, which increases the risk for 14 cancers including postmenopausal breast, bowel, stomach, pancreatic, ovarian and stomach cancers.
HAPPY GUT, HAPPY MIND: Gut health has become a major focus in the world of nutrition and for good reason. Trillions of microbes, including beneficial bacteria, make up our gut microbiome, and these work to keep our gut healthy and strong. Fibre plays a crucial part in this process.
Beneficial bacteria in the large intestine feast on fibre, breaking it down in a process called fermentation. This helps them grow and flourish, so a healthy microbe balance is maintained. While this often produces gas that causes wind or flatulence, it also has many beneficial effects, including making B vitamins, vitamin K, and short chain fatty acids that strengthen the gut lining.
Meanwhile, research is increasingly showing our gut microbiome has other health benefits such as supporting our immune system. Our gut and brain also seem to communicate with each other. Known as the gut-brain axis or gut brain connection, early research suggests an imbalance in our gut bacteria could even be linked to depression and anxiety.
Indeed, studies have observed that higher fibre intakes are linked with lower odds for depression, although more research is needed before we can say a high-fibre diet will protect us against depression.
CONTROL WEIGHT GAIN: High-fibre diets tend to be more filling. Firstly, high-fibre foods often require more chewing – think nuts versus crisps, a jacket potato versus mash, or rye bread versus white bread – which studies show can increase satiety or that feeling of satisfaction after eating.
Meanwhile, some types of fibre are quite bulky so they expand in our digestive system, helping us feel full. Other forms of fibre create a gel that slows down the speed the stomach empties, so we stay fuller for longer. The amount and type of fibre in our diet may also influence the bacteria living in our gut, which according to early research, may affect hormones linked to our appetite.
Collectively, these benefits may help keep hunger at bay, so we find it easier to manage our weight.
CUTS CONSTIPATION AND PILES: Many of us link fibre with staying regular, yet one in seven adults suffers with constipation. Symptoms include stomach pain, bloating and nausea.
Constipation also increases the risk of piles, or haemorrhoids, a common complaint that affects around one in 10 adults. This is because straining to go to the loo because of constipation can increase the pressure in the blood vessels in and around the anus, so they become swollen and inflamed. Diets with good amounts of fibre – together with drinking more fluid – help to produce softer, bulkier stools that are easier to pass.
LIVE FOREVER (WELL, ALMOST): Studies suggest a high-fibre diet may lower our chances of dying early. A review of 64 studies found higher amounts reduced the risk of dying from any cause by 23 per cent. Fibre seems to offer protection against health conditions such as heart disease, some cancers and type-2 diabetes.
Higher fibre intakes may also be a sign that diets are healthier overall with more plant foods including grains, veg, fruits and pulses, which are low in fat and filled with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other naturally occurring plant compounds that benefit health.
