Get to Know: Dietary Fibre

Dietary fibre is a plant-based carbohydrate that plays an important role in human functioning. Unlike starchy carbohydrates, fibre is unable to be digested in the small intestine. Instead, it reached the large intestine and colon where is excreted out alongside other waste products.

Dietary fibre can be broken down into two categories: soluble and insoluble fibre.

1. Soluble fibre dissolves in water and forms a gel in the gut. It helps keep stool soft making it easier to pass through the digestive tract. In turn, this aids digestion and prevent constipation.

2. Insoluble fibre helps aid the movement of food through our body without breaking it down

How much fibre should we be consuming?

In the UK, the recommended daily intake (RDI) for fibre is 30g and day (in adults aged 17 year and above). However, recent figures show that the average individual is only consuming 18g a day (1).

With fibre playing an important role in bodily functions, it is important that we work out ways to best incorporate more fibre into our diets.

Recommended intakes:

2-5 years: 15g per day

5-11 years: 20g per day

11-16 year: 25g per day

17+ years: 30g per day

What are the health benefits?

Consuming 30g of fibre a day has also been associated with reducing the risk of developing various conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, diverticular disease. Also, choosing foods high in fibre can leave us feeling fuller for longer and provides us with more long lasting energy throughout the day compared to refined carbohydrates.

Many foods containing fibre, such as fruit and vegetables, also contain lots of other beneficial compounds such as vitamins, minerals, flavonoids and polyphenols, all of which play vital roles in our health too.

Where to find fibre

Consuming a healthy-balanced diet is enough to provide us with our daily fibre content, but we need to be mindful of the foods we are choosing.

Fibre can be found in a variety of foods, mainly in wholegrain and starchy carbohydrates. Other sources of fibre can be found in fruit and vegetables, pulses, legumes, nuts and seeds. Below you can find examples of where you can fit fibre into each meal.

How to increase your fibre intake

For those of you looking to increase dietary fibre, start off small by adding fibre to one meal. A great place to start is breakfast, as many of the common foods

consumed at breakfast such as oats, cereals and breads already contain fibre. Opt for wholegrain cereals and breads as these contain the highest amounts of fibre. If you’re not ready to go the whole way yet, how about choosing 50/50 bread.

Another easy way to increase fibre intake and reach your 5-a-day is by consuming more fruits and vegetables. It’s a win, win. But, remember to keep the skin on! While the exact amount of fibre varies, fresh fruits and vegetables may contain up to one-third more fibre before the outer layers are removed.

Topping meals with nuts and seeds is a very easy and effective way of getting that extra bit of fibre at each meal. My personal favourite is adding flaxseeds to my morning oats.

A side-note.

If your diet is relatively low in dietary fibre, consider gradually increasing food containing fibre as large increases can sometimes cause bloating and constipation. Individuals who suffer from IBS will be familiar with the importance of modifying fibre in their diet. Daily fibre intake may need to be adjusted for IBS sufferers, so it is important to consolidate with your GP or nutritionist before increasing your intake if this applies to you.

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References:

1. British Nutrition Foundation (2018). Dietary Fibre . https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/basics/fibre.html

2. NHS (2018). How to get more fibre in your diet. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-get-more-fibre-into-your-diet/

3. Rhitrition (2020). Why we all need fibre in our diet. Rhitrition. Available from: https://rhitrition.com/why-we-all-need-fibre-in-our-diets

4. Shahnaz, Alvi & Khan, M. Masud & Sheikh, Munir & Muhammad, Shahid. (2003). Effect of Peeling and Cooking on Nutrients in Vegetables. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition. 2. 10.3923/pjn.2003.189.191.

5. British Heart Foundation (2020). Are you eating enough fibre? https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/fibre