Fibre-rich diets ‘cut early deaths by up to a third’

PEOPLE who do not eat enough fibre are at risk of an early death, according to a major new study.

A report commissioned by the World Health Organisation discovered that people who eat a large amount of fibre cut their chance of early mortality by up to a third.

High fibre intake also leads to a decrease in the risk of a heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes or cancer by up to a quarter.

Fibre is vital for digestion, and is found in high levels in fruit, vegetables and cereals, as well as bread and pasta made with wholegrain and wholewheat. Low-carb and gluten-free diets, which have boomed in recent years, have also driven down fibre intake.

However, the rise of processed food – which often cuts out much of the fibre in raw ingredients – has meant people often get too little of these ingredients.

Shockingly, according to the Irish Heart Foundation, 80% of people in Ireland are not getting enough fibre – a figure that should send alarm bells ringing in households across the country.

The review, which was published in the Lancet journal, looked into the results of more than 230 studies involving 215,000 people.

It found people who ate more than 30g a day of fibre were 24% less likely to die early from any cause than people who ate 8g a day. For those who ate more than 35g, the risk dropped by over a third.

Researcher Professor John Cummings, of the University of Dundee in Scotland, said the new review will have a major impact,

‘This is a defining moment in the fibre story,’ he said. ‘The work that we have done means we have enough evidence from population studies, human experimental work and the biochemistry and physiological of fibre to be confident of the clear benefits to health.

‘Fibre has come of age as a unique and essential nutrient.’ The clinical trials also suggested that increasing fibre intakes was linked to lower body weight and cholesterol compared with lower consumption.

The majority of people worldwide consume less than 20g of dietary fibre per day. To eat 30g of fibre people should eat five portions of fruit and veg per day, as well as the equivalent of two wholemeal breakfast cereal biscuits, two thick slices of wholemeal bread and a large jacket potato with the skin on.

But, critically, people should choose wholemeal options in order to get the most nutrition out of the carbohydrates they eat.

Professor Jim Mann, of the University

‘These foods aid weight control’

of Otago in New Zealand, who also worked on the paper, said: ‘Fibre-rich whole foods that require chewing and retain much of their structure in the gut increase satiety and help weight control.’

His team found that for every 8g increase of dietary fibre eaten per day, deaths decreased by 5 to 27%.