Fibre-Maxxing: Friend or Fad?

If done right, this is a trend I can actually get on board with! Fibre is the indigestible parts of carbohydrates which can improve health impacts. Not enough and you’ll find yourself at a higher risk of bowel cancer, type two diabetes and heart disease. There are two key types of fibre - soluble and insoluble - which we’ll go through in more detail below.

Soluble Fibre

The clue’s in the name here - soluble fibre is able to absorb water and forms a gel like consistency. This gel helps keep your stools soft and pass through your gut easier.

Soluble fibre slows digestion, which reduces blood sugar spikes and crashes and improves insulin sensitivity. The more controlled absorption of sugars and other nutrients from your food also helps reduce hunger and cravings. It can also reduce the absorption of cholesterol, which is beneficial if you’re trying to reduce your LDL levels (the “bad” type of cholesterol). Some types of soluble fibre, such as psyllium husk, have also been found to improve the symptoms of IBS patients.

Sources of soluble fibre include apples, oats, chia seeds, psyllium husk, broccoli, peas and beans.

Insoluble Fibre

Insoluble fibre can only be broken down partially during digestion, and doesn’t dissolve in water. It helps push things along in the digestive tract, preventing digestive issues and ensuring more regular bowel movements.

It has been found to decrease blood pressure, which is crucial to reducing risk of heart attacks and strokes especially amongst those who are higher risk. It has also been found to reduce hunger and appetite across a number of scientific studies, which is extremely beneficial for those looking to lose weight or improve their eating habits.

Key dietary sources include wholewheat bread, rice, whole grains, corn and leafy vegetables.

Recommendations

The UK dietary guidelines state that an adult should be consuming 30g of fibre per day. If you aren’t consuming this much already, don’t jump straight up to 30g a day or you may have some digestive discomfort. Instead, slowly increase your fibre week on week so your body is able to adjust.

To find out how much fibre is in your food, you can check the nutrition labels on the back of packs or use a reliable food tracking app. Don’t get caught out by the marketing of greens powders and other fibre supplements as a quick fix to improve the fibre in your diet. Some of these products contain less fibre than an apple! Where you can, always opt for a whole food source of fibre.

Tips and tricks

• Frozen vegetables can improve shelf life, be more cost effective than buying fresh, and ensure you always have a supply on hand to boost the fibre in your meals.

• Drink plenty of water as you usually would.

• Try adding pulses like lentils into your meals, such as swapping them out for 50% of the beef in your spaghetti bolognese.

• Swap white bread or pasta for wholemeal alternatives.

Sources:

Aljuraiban, G.S. et al. (2015) ‘Total, insoluble and soluble dietary fibre intake in relation to blood pressure: the INTERMAP Study’. British Journal of Nutrition, 114(9), pp. 1480–1486. doi:10.1017/S0007114515003098.

Delargy, H. J. et al. (1997) ‘Effects of Amount and type of Dietary Fibre (Soluble and Insoluble) on Short-Term Control of Appetite’. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 48(1), pp. 67–77. doi: 10.3109/09637489709006965.

Ghavami, A. et al. (2023) Soluble fiber supplementation and serum lipid profile: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Advances in Nutrition, 14(3), pp.465-474.

Bijkerk, C.J., et al. (2009) Soluble or insoluble fibre in irritable bowel syndrome in primary care? Randomised placebo controlled trial. BMJ, 339.