Last year, many of us went protein-mad in the hopes of boosting our strength and fitness. But over the past few months, fibre – something very few of us get enough of every day – has become the hot topic on social media.<\/p>\n
Posts with the hashtags #fibremaxxing and #fibermaxxing have been viewed more than 150m times on TikTok, and videos of chia seeds being sprinkled on porridge and nutritionists lauding the benefits of red kidney beans and chickpeas are all over people’s feeds.<\/p>\n
The NHS recommends adults eat 30g of fibre a day, but 96% of us in the UK are not hitting that benchmark – and we aren’t even close. Average daily consumption is around 16.4g, with women eating less than men.<\/p>\n
Many nutritionists say the buzz over fibre isn’t a bad thing.<\/p>\n
According to dietitian Kate Hilton, fibre has long been viewed as an \u00ab\u00a0unsexy nutrient\u00a0\u00bb due to its associations with digestion and flatulence, in contrast with protein’s longstanding link to fitness and exercise.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0When I first saw all the posts on fibre, I was pretty thrilled,\u00a0\u00bb says nutritionist Kristen Stavridis. \u00ab\u00a0It feels like the messages around gut health are finally getting through to people.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
As well as benefitting your gut, eating more fibrous food – like brown rice and jacket potatoes – has other benefits too.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0People who have a higher fibre intake will live longer, have less cardiovascular disease, fewer cancers and are at a lower risk of conditions like diabetes,\u00a0\u00bb says Kevin Whelan, professor of Dietetics at King’s College London. He adds that some studies suggest it can help our mental health, too.<\/p>\n
Yeshe Sander, 24, from Birmingham, says upping the fibre in her diet to 30g a day has helped her feel \u00ab\u00a0so much better\u00a0\u00bb physically and mentally.<\/p>\n
She grew up with parents who tried to get her to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and have a fibre-rich diet but, as she entered her mid-teens, she decided to rebel.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0I wanted nothing to do with healthy food,\u00a0\u00bb Yeshe says. \u00ab\u00a0As a teenager, I would eat huge amounts of chocolate, doughnuts, cookies.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
At college, her favourite quick meals included instant noodles with white toast or frozen pizza.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0It was only when I got a bit older, in my early 20s, that I thought maybe they were onto something,\u00a0\u00bb Yeshe says of her parents.<\/p>\n
After feeling sluggish, low and lacking motivation, she re-examined her diet and started to eat more healthily again. After increasing her fibre intake, Yeshe noticed the difference.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0Now I can see it so clearly: when I’m eating more fibre, my mental health gets better,\u00a0\u00bb Yeshe says, \u00ab\u00a0and my anxiety and low mood is reduced.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Breakfast is her favourite meal and she recommends eating porridge with a variety of toppings as a way to get some fibre in the morning.<\/p>\n
Dietary fibre is a chain of sugar molecules produced by plants that cannot be digested by humans. It is found in fruits, vegetables, grains, beans and nuts.<\/p>\n
The effects of fibre were first discovered in the 1970s, when it was believed that fibre was just \u00ab\u00a0hard roughage stuff\u00a0\u00bb that helped our bodies get rid of waste, explains Whelan.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0Now we know it’s so much more than that – it has health benefits way beyond the bowel.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Fermentable fibres in foods like oats and legumes help the good bacteria in our large intestine grow, enriching our gut microbiome.<\/p>\n
Insoluble fibres, found in wholegrain bread, bran and the skins of fruit and vegetables, help our poo travel through the gut.<\/p>\n
Viscous fibres, found in oats, seeds and some fruits and vegetables, slow down the speed sugar is absorbed and reduce sugar spikes in the bloodstream.<\/p>\n
All these different types of fibre, among others, help keep us healthy, Whelan says.<\/p>\n
When speaking about the health benefits of fibre consumption, Whelan points to numerous large-scale epidemiological studies, which record a large group of people’s eating habits alongside which diseases they go on to develop.<\/p>\n
While these studies don’t always take into account other factors \u2013 like demographics, environment, awareness of diet \u2013 he says there are also clinical trials that suggest fibre has health benefits for many parts of the body.<\/p>\n
Some studies also suggest a high-fibre diet can help improve mental health, says Whelan. A healthy microbiome, fed with prebiotic fibre that boosts health bacteria in the gut, can potentially reduce anxiety and depression risk.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0There is a two-way communication between our brain and our gut, the gut-brain axis,\u00a0\u00bb he says. Clinical trials suggest certain fibres \u2013 prebiotic fibres that feed the microbiome \u2013 can help improve mood.<\/p>\n
One surprising finding from Whelan’s research was that fibre helped improve cognition in people over 60.<\/p>\n
Vicky Owens says boosting her fibre intake after a health scare last year has had huge benefits.<\/p>\n
As a business owner with little time to devote to cooking, her diet mainly consisted of takeaways and ready meals.<\/p>\n
Then the 25-year-old started experiencing unexplained symptoms including panic attacks, gastric issues and swollen, itchy eyes, which, she says, baffled her doctor.<\/p>\n
She began to re-evaluate her lifestyle and after an acupuncturist suggested she shake up her diet, it dawned on Vicky she was eating next to no fibre.<\/p>\n
She began to cut out ultra-processed foods, instead opting for fresh fruit and vegetables, whole wheat pastas and oats.<\/p>\n
Eventually, she started to see huge benefits.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
My skin’s better, I’ve got more energy,\u00a0\u00bb Vicky says, \u00ab\u00a0and I think as a whole everything’s so much more balanced now.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Small switches are a great way to add more fibre to your meals, says dietitian Hilton. Here are some ideas how to do that:<\/p>\n
Here’s a sample meal plan from Stavridis on how you can hit 30g fibre in a day (note that fibre quantities vary by brand and portion size):<\/p>\n
People in the UK eat a lot of convenience and ultra-processed foods, which don’t typically contain much fibre, says Hilton.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0The carbohydrates that we consume tend to not be things like whole grains and we have a lot more of a reliance on things like meats to get our proteins, rather than beans or vegetarian sources,\u00a0\u00bb she adds.<\/p>\n
Stavridis points out that the recent fixation on protein may have affected some people’s fibre intake too, as some people prioritised it at the cost of other nutrients.<\/p>\n
Though protein is important for our health, she says people should stop \u00ab\u00a0obsessing over protein and start tracking fibre\u00a0\u00bb and ensure they’re getting a healthy diet overall.<\/p>\n
While eating more fibre is a good thing for most people, for some with conditions like Crohn’s disease and diverticulitis, it is often not recommended and medical advice should be sought before any dietary changes.<\/p>\n
Too much too fast can also cause problems, explains Cara Wheatley-McGrain from the Mindful Gut, a wellbeing company which supports people to change their diets.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0Increase slowly – if we suddenly make a dramatic change, our gut goes ‘hang on a minute’, and we can end up with bloating and constipation.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
And make sure to drink plenty of water, she recommends.<\/p>\n
While Wheatley-McGrain is \u00ab\u00a0really happy\u00a0\u00bb fibre is finally being taken seriously on socials, she does not want to add additional pressure on young people who are constantly met with a barrage of different diets and eating regimes.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0We need to navigate that to make the best choices for ourselves,\u00a0\u00bb she says. \u00ab\u00a0Add some fibre to your diet slowly, notice how it feels and take it from there.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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