All you need to know about fibre
What is dietary fibre?
Dietary fibre is made up of the indigestible parts of plants that pass relatively unchanged through our stomach and intestines.
Why should I include dietary fibre in my diet?
Dietary fibre has many health benefits. These include assisting weight management, appetite control, cholesterol lowering, diabetes prevention and management and digestive system health.
What are the different types of fibre?
|
Type of Fibre |
Food Sources |
Health Benefits |
|
Soluble |
Legumes and lentils |
Lowers blood cholesterol levels Improves blood glucose control Maintenance of a healthy bowel |
|
Insoluble |
Wheat bran Wholegrain cereals Nuts and seeds Fruit and vegetable skin |
Improves and maintains bowel regularity Maintenance of a healthy bowel |
|
Resistant Starch |
Cooked and cooled potato and grains |
Pre-biotic fibre (production of good bacteria) Improves blood glucose control. |
How much dietary fibre do I need?
The recommended daily intake of fibre is minimum 25g for women and 30g for men.
Including a variety of foods high in dietary fibre is important for good health.
Tips to increase your dietary fibre intake
Increase your fibre intake gradually to reduce potential side effects such as bloating, flatulence, constipation or increased frequency of bowel movements.
Increase your Soluble Fibre intake by:
- Eating 2 pieces of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables daily
- Eating whole fruits and vegetables rather than drinking juice
- Adding legumes and lentils or barley to soup, casseroles and pasta sauce
- Spreading low fat hummus (chickpea dip) on sandwiches instead of margarine
- Adding oat, barley or rice bran, or psyllium husks to breakfast cereal
- Taking a fibre supplement such as Benefibre®, Fibresure® or Metamucil® powder
Tip: Soluble fibre works by absorbing water. Aim to include a minimum of 6-8 glasses of fluid daily. Water is the best choice.
Increase your Insoluble Fibre intake by:
- Eating 2 pieces of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables daily, including the skin
- Choosing wholegrain breads and cereals
- eg. soy and linseed bread, wholegrain breakfast cereals and crispbreads, wholemeal pasta and wholemeal pita bread
- High fibre white bread is an alternative for people who have difficulties chewing grains
- Adding extra wheat bran or LSA (ground linseeds, sunflower seeds and almonds) to breakfast cereal
- Including a small handful of nuts or seeds as a snack
- Spreading unhulled tahini (sesame seed spread) on a sandwich
Increase your Resistant Starch intake by:
- Consuming cooked and cooled potato
- eg. potato salad (use a vinaigrette or natural yoghurt dressing instead of sour cream or mayonnaise)
- Consuming cooked and cooled grains – rice, quinoa, barley and buckwheat etc
- eg. rice, pasta or grain salad or sushi
Book now with our experienced dietitians for help to boost your fibre intake.
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