Fibre

There is one carbohydrate that I think could do with more light being shown down on it and that is fibre. I feel that fibre doesn’t get much press because its not very glamorous, not exciting, and it doesn’t stimulate the senses when it comes to being important to health. I would also like to add it can be very easy to implement (increasing fibre in the diet) and can be done without great expense. There are a whole wealth of benefits that a good fibre intake can do for the human body. In this article I want to press home the importance of consuming good amounts of fibre in a healthy diet and the numerous health benefits that go with it.

Firstly, there are two types of fibre, soluble and Insoluble. Soluble easily dissolves in water and breaks down into a gel like substance in the colon. Insoluble stays intact through the gastrointestinal tract and does not dissolve in water. A good example of the differences can be highlighted using the tomato. Soluble fibre is the fleshy part of the tomato. This will dissolve in the large intestine and add bulk to stools. Insoluble fibre is in the skin and seeds of the tomato. Both are good and both are needed.

The recommended daily allowance of fibre is 30g a day which I will give examples of high fibre foods later on in the article.

There are numerous health benefits associated with a good fibre diet and I will explain the mechanisms behind each one below.

1. Helps improve digestion

Probably the most obvious one but increasing fibre intake can help with digestion. Fibre can help to bulk stools and can help soften them as well making transit more easy helping to prevent constipation. Fibre also keeps the colon cells healthy and with the help of bacteria produce healthy compounds called short chain fatty acids. If you suffer with any digestive issues then increasing fibre intake could be the first port of call.

2. Helps reduce cholesterol levels

Fibre has the ability to lower cholesterol levels in the body by slowing down or blocking the absorption of LDL cholesterol in the intestines. Instead of getting reabsorbed back into the bloodstream instead the cholesterol will be packaged into the stools.

3. Provides the feeling of satiety

Consuming good amounts of fibre is a great way to feel full which will reduce overeating. Consuming fibrous foods can provide a lot of volume for few calories meaning you can really fill up on these foods. Fibrous foods also take some time to digest also promoting the feeling of satiety, ideal for weight loss and body composition changes. 

4. Lowers the risk of heart disease

Fibre’s ability to lower the risk of heart disease is down to it’s ability to lower cholesterol levels,  blood pressure, and inflammation markers in the body. Lowering these three factors can contribute to a lower rate of heart disease but also a healthier individual. As mentioned previously fibre has the ability to lower LDL cholesterol through digestion in the intestines. Lowering blood pressure comes with fibre’s ability to slow down the absorption of glucose, and in turn decreasing the release of insulin. This has a lowering effect on blood pressure. Fibre’s ability to lower inflammation is quite complex and I am worried of putting my readers to sleep. If you are interested in any of nuts and bolts of the mechanisms of fibre I have put a link to the study below. Enjoy nerds!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5731843/

5. Lowers the risk of stroke

Eating more fibre may reduce the risk of a first time stroke. This was published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke. Again I have linked the article down below for you. The mechanisms are similar to the ones mentioned above with fibre’s ability to lower LDL cholesterol and lower blood pressure. The study states that it takes an increase of 7g for this protective effect. This is one serving of whole wheat pasta, plus two servings of fruits and vegetables.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130328161434.htm#:~:text=Fiber%20can%20be%20soluble%2C%20which,LDL)%20%22bad%22%20cholesterol.

6. Helps reduce the risk of type II diabetes

Fibre can help slow the absorption of glucose by delaying the absorption in the gut and in turn reduce the release of insulin. This will help keep blood glucose under control and keep energy levels good throughout the day. I have linked a study below which documents this.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5883628/

7. Reduces the risk of bowel cancer

Dietary fibre can help reduce the risk of bowel cancer (colorectal cancer) by increasing stool bulk, diluting carcinogens present in the large bowel, and decreasing transit time which reduces contact time between carcinogen and tissue. There is also the production of short chain fatty acids from bacterial fermentation of fibre. Three short chain fatty acids – butyrate, propionate, and acetate induce apoptosis (cell death) in colorectal cancer cells but not in healthy cells. That’s information gathered from a study that I will share at the bottom.

For a nutrition nerd like me that’s exciting reading that the fact that the digestion of fibre can have such protective effects.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6560290/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK216647/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9612155/#:~:text=SCFAs%20have%20previously%20been%20linked,but%20not%20in%20healthy%20cells.

There are many good options of foods if you’re looking to boost your fibre content. If you search “top 10 high fibre foods” in google you get a good idea of what they are with changes from different websites. I want to give you my top 10 high fibre foods with ones I enjoy eating being in the top 10.

1) Oats – one of my favourites and so versatile. Great in shakes, porridge, yoghurt and overnight oat bowls (9g/100g).

2) Strawberries – one of my favourite fruits. High in vitamins and minerals and contains good amounts of fibre (2g/100g).

3) Flaxseeds – I recommend the milled flaxseeds. Great on porridge and in shakes (7.2g/25g).

4) Chia seeds – I always have chia seeds in my shakes. Super nutritious and great source of fibre (5.2g/15g).

5) Avocado – this super fruit has a wealth of health benefits and contains big amounts of fibre (13.5g in 1 avocado).

6) Sweet potato – the fibre content is boosted by consumption of the skin. High in vitamins and minerals and great baked (4g in 1 sweet potato).

7) Kale – though not super exciting kale in fact is a powerhouse of nutrients containing many essential vitamins and minerals (2g/100g).

8) Cashew nuts – anyone who knows me knows that I like to eat cashews with my morning coffee. Like all nuts super nutritious and high in fibre (3.3g/100g).

9) Raspberries – great in a shake and on top of yoghurt with some seeds and honey (7g/100g).

10) Green peas – great frozen and so easy to use, peas are nutritious and high in fibre (5.5g/100g).

That’s my top ten but there are so many more so get creative and start making dishes that contain a few of these food groups and your fibre content will increase immensely. For more information of nutritional topics check out some more of my articles. If you are in need of nutritional advice to help you to reach your fitness goals then I do one to one nutritional consultations, and that can be found of my services page. Thanks.