Are you eating enough fibre?

Find out why adding more fibre to your diet could help you live a longer and healthier life

What is fibre and why do I need it?

A fibre-rich diet is good for your heart, your digestion and your health – but few of us eat enough. The Government has increased the recommended amount we should eat to 30g every day – yet most of us manage just 18g. Just four per cent of women eat enough fibre, according to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey.

“Dietary fibre, also known as roughage, is the indigestible parts of plant foods such as beans, vegetables and fruits,” says nutritional therapist Helen Adams, author of I Don’t Know What To Eat (£14,99). “You might wonder why we need it, if we can’t digest it. But its benefits come from its transit time through your digestive system. Fibre ensures food stays in your stomach longer, which helps you to feel full so you can manage your weight without feeling hungry.

It bulks out your stools to keep them soft and helps your food move through your intestines.

“Your food needs to be in your small intestine long enough so you can absorb all the nutrients from it. But you don’t want it to hang around there, because if food spends too much time in your bowel the waste and toxins your body wants to get rid of can be re-absorbed leading to headaches and aches and pains.” Without enough roughage you could also be more susceptible to mood swings and hot flushes, says Helen. “Your heart will be thankful for any extra fibre,” adds nutritionist Rob Hobson, of Healthspan (www.healthspan.co.uk). “In fact, one study found that for every extra 10g you eat a day your risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke, reduces by ten per cent.”

Oats and barley are full of soluble fibre called beta glucans. “This helps to bind to excess cholesterol in your body to stop it being absorbed, which then allows your body to remove it as waste,” says Rob. All that extra roughage is good for your gut bacteria too – in fact it helps to feed your microbiome and keep it healthy. And a healthy gut is great for your immunity, sleep, heart and brain health and could reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes too. A fibre-rich diet could also cut your risk of bowel cancer, according to The World Cancer Research Fund.