Get Gutsy with us and find out why fibre is one of the most underrated nutrients.
We keep hearing the advice: ‘Be sure to get enough fibre’. Yet our fibre intake is on the decrease, and digestive and gut-related problems are on the rise.
ADD FIBRE TO YOUR DIET
Modern medicine recognises fibre – the edible parts of plants that are resistant to digestion and absorption in the human small intestine – as essential in maintaining a healthy body. It can help manage your weight, fight disease, and relieve chronic conditions. The gut also forms an important part of the immune system.
Most of us are constantly on the go, eating fast foods and ready-cooked meals, processed snacks and very little fresh food. Our intake of whole, natural foods has dropped radically, and we’re eating more foods with virtually no fibre, such as white bread, chips and other heavily processed and refined foods. On average we consume only around 10 to 15 grams of fibre a day when we should be having around 25 to 40 grams.
SOURCES OF FIBRE
Most of us get our fibre from two sources: our diet and added ‘functional’ fibre.
Dietary fibres are found naturally in the fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains we eat. Functional fibre, a growing trend in the food industry, is fibre that has been isolated and extracted from plants or animal sources and added to drinks and food products such as cereals and breads to boost their fibre content. I personally prefer fibre from whole foods in their natural state as these contain other essential nutrients and have many health benefits.
IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS)
In IBS, the nerves and muscles in the large intestine are extra-sensitive to certain foods (or the lack of them), resulting in cramping, bloating, flatulence, diarrhoea and constipation.
Although IBS has no cure, symptoms can be relieved through medicine, stress reduction, and avoiding triggers such as fatty foods, alcohol and carbonated beverages. Fibre, like that in bran, whole grains and fresh produce, reduces IBS symptoms, especially constipation, by making stools soft, bulky and easier to pass.
Two top dietary fibre choices are chia seeds and psyllium seed husks. Psyllium husks provide soluble fibre and are a natural source of beta-glucan, a food additive and an ingredient in many fibre supplements. Recent research has shown that psyllium husks have beneficial effects on blood glucose levels, help lower blood pressure, and may help in weight control. Every 100 grams of psyllium provides 71 grams of soluble fibre – a similar amount of oat bran would contain only 5 grams.
Chia seeds are also a great source of fibre, providing more than almost any other natural source. A single serving (1 tbsp or 15 grams) can contain as much as 6 grams of fibre.
Whole foods are always your best bet!
SOLUBLE AND INSOLUBLE FIBRE
Dietary fibre comes from the part of a plant, fruit or vegetable that is not digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract. Part of it, however, may be metabolised by bacteria in the lower gut.
FIBRE AND BLOOD SUGAR
Boosting your fibre intake not only relieves constipation but helps prevent diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. Blood sugar imbalances are on the rise as a result of our poor diet, and although fibre is not a cure, it definitely assists in managing the condition. Fibre delays the absorption of sugar, helping control blood sugar levels, and a diet rich in fibre will also leave less room for refined foods rich in sugar. Try adding more fresh produce, beans, quinoa, oats, apples, peas, brown rice and other high-fibre foods to your diet.
Plants vary in the amount and kind of fibre they contain. Fibre includes pectin, gum, mucilage, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Pectin and gum are water-soluble fibres found inside plant cells. They slow the passage of food through the intestines but do nothing to increase faecal bulk. Soluble fibre also decreases cholesterol and can help lower blood glucose. Beans, oat bran, fruit and vegetables contain water-soluble fibre.
In contrast, fibres in cell walls are water insoluble. These include cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Such fibres increase faecal bulk and speed up the passage of food through the digestive tract. Wheat bran and whole grains contain the highest amounts of insoluble fibre, but vegetables and beans also are good sources.
THE RED FLAG ON FIBRE
One of the first signs that we are not getting enough fibre is poor bowel functioning. A diet high in fibre equals good bowel function, and a healthy colon, functioning bowels and a thriving gastro-intestinal tract will help prevent disease.
Constipation, abdominal pain, hunger and weight gain, high blood sugar, high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol levels may all be signs and symptoms of suboptimal nutrition, including a lack of fibre. If you are eating correctly you will be getting enough fibre. Problems arise when we eat a diet lacking not only in fibre but in essential nutrients.
Bathroom libraries are not a sign of good gut health! The habit of reading on the toilet simply reflects inadequate function. It is not normal to miss moving the bowels regularly, and you shouldn’t solve the problem by taking a laxative. If your bowels move daily but with difficulty or straining, if your stool is dry or hard, or if you don’t move your bowels daily, you need to adjust your diet to ensure that you’re getting enough fibre.
If you’re having fewer than three bowel movements a week and the stools are hard and dry, you’re constipated. Constipation can result from lack of fibre but also from too little exercise and certain medications and supplements. If your constipation is diet-related, try adding more fibre-rich foods such as apples, raspberries, carrots, broccoli or whole grains to your diet.
INCREASE DIETARY FIBRE, DECREASE DISEASE
We should all be eating more dietary fibre to improve our health. Evidence has shown that a deficiency of dietary fibre in the diet is a major risk factor for health problems – but it’s one of the simplest to remedy. Dietary fibre reduces cholesterol and balances blood glucose, maintains gastro-intestinal health, and positively affects immune function. It helps prevent conditions such as diverticular disease, heart disease, colon cancer and diabetes, makes you feel fuller for longer, and assists in weight loss.
Given the ready availability of vegetables, fruit and other foods high in dietary fibre, we should all make sure we eat more of it.
Editor's note: You may want to read Junk food, allergies and leaky gut: A Call for Healthier Choices and Maintaining Digestive Health.
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