What's the Fuss With Fibre?
You may have heard that we should be eating more fibre. It seems to be the 'new kid on the block' at the moment when it comes to health trends. But do you really understand why it is such an essential part of a healthy diet? Let's break down what fibre is, why your body needs it, and how you can easily boost your intake.
What Exactly Is Fibre?
Fibre is a component found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Unlike other nutrients, most fibre passes through our digestive system without being fully broken down. But don't let that fool you. Fibre plays a crucial role in helping to keep our bodies healthy.
Why Is Fibre So Important?
The benefits of fibre extend far beyond just keeping you regular in the loo. Here is what a fibre-rich diet can do for you:
Supports digestive health: Fibre assists with smooth bowel movements and helps prevent constipation, haemorrhoids, and diverticular disease.
Manages blood sugar levels: For those with insulin resistance, pre-diabetes or diabetes, fibre can help with blood glucose control by slowing the absorption of sugar.
Protects against disease: A high-fibre diet may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, including bowel cancer.
Lowers cholesterol: Soluble fibre, in particular, helps to remove cholesterol from the body and can lower overall cholesterol levels.
Supports weight management: High-fibre foods are generally lower in energy and cam help you feel fuller for longer, reducing the likelihood of overeating and weight gain.
The Three Types of Fibre
There are three main types of fibre, each with unique benefits:
Soluble (viscous) fibre: Absorbs water, slows digestion, and helps to soften the stool. You will find it in oats, psyllium husk, seeds like flaxseeds and chia, legumes, lentils, fruits, and vegetables. Try adding overnight oats to your breakfast routine, mixing chia seeds or psyllium husk into smoothies, or bulking up your Bolognese with lentils.
Insoluble fibre: Adds bulk to your stool and helps it move efficiently through the bowel. Good sources include wholegrains (bread, cereals, and grains), wheat bran, rice bran, nuts, and the skins of fruits and vegetables. Switch to multigrain bread, add rice bran to your baking, snack on a small handful of nuts, or simply leave the skin on your fresh produce (give it a good wash first).
Resistant starch: Resists digestion in the small intestine but provides fuel for the beneficial bacteria in your gut. You will find it in cooked and cooled pasta, rice, and potatoes, chickpeas, slightly under-ripe bananas, and freekeh. Make a pasta or potato salad, enjoy hummus as a snack, or swap couscous for freekeh in your next grain bowl.
How Much Fibre Do You Need?
Adult females should aim for a minimum of 25g of fibre daily, while adult males need a minimum of 30g per day.
The Suggested Dietary Targets (SDT's) to help reduce chronic disease risk are set at 28g/day for females and 38g/day for males.
Unfortunately, most Australians fall well short of these targets.
Simple Ways to Increase Your Fibre Intake
Boosting your fibre does not have to be complicated. Here are some practical tips:
Keep the skin on fruits and vegetables wherever possible.
Choose wholegrain products like brown rice and wholemeal bread.
Snack on nuts (with skin on) and seeds.
Check nutrition labels and aim for foods with more than 5g of dietary fibre per 100g.
If you drink juice, choose options made with whole vegetables that retain some fibre.
What About Bloating and Gas?
If you are not currently meeting the fibre recommendations, it is important to increase your fibre intake gradually to allow your gut microbiome time to adjust. This will help to minimise bloating, excessive gas, or constipation. Try adding one new high-fibre food every 2-3 days, and remember to drink plenty of water to support healthy bowel movements.
The Bottom Line
Fibre is a nutritional powerhouse that supports your digestive system, can reduce chronic disease risk, and helps to maintain a healthy weight. By making small, sustainable changes to include more plant foods in your diet, you can easily meet your daily fibre needs and reap the many health benefits.
Need More Support?
Are you struggling with constipation or other gut issues? Consider booking in a 1:1 Clinical Nutrition consultation where together we can get to the root cause and develop a personalised nutrition plan that supports your unique gut health needs. This may also include a referral for blood tests, functional gut testing, or other investigations where clinically indicated.
Katie practices at: Uprise Health, 136 Lennox Street, Richmond, 3121, Victoria.
Appointments: Face-to-face and Telehealth available (Australia wide)
Contact: admin@katiehopcraft.com.au
If you have any questions or need personalised guidance, feel free to reach out.
The information provided in this blog is for your personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. It should not be considered as medical or professional advice. We recommend you consult with a GP or other healthcare professional before taking or omitting to take any action based on this blog. While the author uses best endeavours to provide accurate and true content, the author makes no guarantees or promises and assumes no liability regarding the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the information presented. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this blog are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this blog is done at your own risk.