How much fibre do you need?

Fibre is the backbone of a balanced diet, but it is often forgotten —supporting digestion, heart health, and gut microbiota. Most adults and adolescents don’t get enough in their diets. Adults are advised to consume at least 25g (for women) and 30g (for men) of fibre daily, but research suggests that higher intakes of 30-35g per day can offer even greater health benefits! Countries like the UK have even increased their baseline recommendation to 30g per day, irrespective of sex, due to the health benefits and knowledge we now have.

Benefits of Fibre

Consuming adequate fibre can help with:

●      Lower blood glucose levels

●      Support blood pressure management

●      Lower total or LDL cholesterol levels, or both

●      Improve digestion and decrease transit time (slowing down the time it takes for nutrients to move through the intestine, allowing for better nutrient breakdown and absorption — so that you get to use the nutrients that you eat rather than pooping them out)

●      Feeling full for longer (reduce energy intake via increased satiety)

●      Increasing good bacteria (positive changes in gut microbiota)

What Conditions Does Fibre Help With?

●      Heart health: blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight management.

●      Gut health

●      Brain health: When your gut digests fibre, it produces special compounds called SCFAs, which help support brain function through lowering inflammation, improving mood, and supporting the gut-brain axis.

●      Skin health: Urticaria, dermatitis herpetiformis or other inflammatory or autoimmune skin conditions, as fibre is rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients and produces SCFAs to support inflammation and immune regulation.

●      Immunity: around 70-80% of the body's immune cells are found in the gut!

What is Fibre?

In a nutshell, fibre is a type of carbohydrate that is often separated into two main types: soluble and insoluble fibre—both types are important for optimal health. It is naturally found in plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, cereals, or legumes. A part of what makes fibre so essential is the way in which it is digested (or not, in fibre’s case…don’t worry, I’ll explain). As mentioned, dietary fibres contain plant-based carbohydrates; however, they are not able to be digested by humans; instead, they are fermented in the gut. As a result, the gut produces metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which play a role not only in our colon (digestive tract) but are also released into blood circulation, where they then exert the various benefits listed throughout the body. This is also largely why you will often hear that fibre exerts such great benefits on our gut health, because this is where it starts and is then broken down!

How To Get More Fibre in Your Diet…

It is well known that most people do not get enough fibre in their diets. One study reported that only 28% of adults and 42% of children meet the adequate daily fibre intake. One reason for this might be the dietary changes in many ‘Western’ societies. We now have more heavily processed foods that have little to no fibre and fewer natural, plant-based foods that are rich in fibre.

But by knowing how many health benefits fibre has from both a preventative and disease management perspective, it is important we aim to reach those targets! This can be done by increasing the types of foods we eat or swapping out some foods (even if that’s just every other day) for higher fibre options. Small, consistent steps add up!

This might look like:

1. Increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables you eat (with the skin on). Try vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, asparagus, and cucumbers.

2. Swap out white bread for whole grain or whole meal bread.

3. Incorporate grains and cereals like oats, quinoa, couscous, brown rice and wholemeal pasta.

4. Increase your intake of lentils, peas, and beans (you can add these to salads, soups, stews, or curries).

5. Incorporate nuts and seeds to your snack list (ensuring you’re having reasonable serving sizes, as these can be quite easy to overeat!).

 Something to remember when it comes to increasing your fibre intake is that a gradual approach is always best. Increasing fibre too quickly can cause gut discomfort such as gas, bloating, abdominal pain, and gas. This is because we need time for our gut microbiome to adapt, eventually promoting better digestion, nutrient absorption, and all those amazing health benefits! For those with gut disorders, personalised guidance from a dietitian is key. Overall, prioritising fibre is a simple yet powerful way to support your overall health, cardiometabolic risk factors, digestion, and gut health. As with any nutrition changes, small, consistent changes can make a significant difference over time.