Many people are aware of the term dietary fibre and many may even be aware of what food groups provide fibre however there seems to be a disconnect when regarding the general knowledge around the further known positive effects that adding dietary fibre can have on overall health and even longevity. This disconnect manifests as a surprising amount of the population not meeting the recommended intake and as a result unknowingly keeping their overall health in a sub optimal state.

Fibre is usually classified as soluble and insoluble and different ratios of each are contained in different sources, therefore it’s important to ensure the diet is balanced and varied in order to access an adequate amount of the two. Sources of fibre include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.

Dietary fibre consists of non-digestible forms of carbohydrate, usually as polysaccharides that originate from plant-based foods. Unlike the macronutrients protein, carbohydrates and fat, fibre cannot be digested or absorbed by the body and gives no nutritional benefit passing through the body relatively intact. Due to this a primary role that fibre plays is helping to move material through the digestive system however beyond this fibre can also play a key role in helping to maintain overall health. 

Some of the benefits of a high fibre diet can include:

·       Helping to maintain gut health. Good gut health is complex and we are still learning of the intricacies of what optimum gut health looks like. It is however universally agreed that alongside regular exercise and maintaining a balanced diet, including enough fibre can have a great effect on the health of the gut microbiome.

·       Aiding in lowering cholesterol levels. Fibre helps to lower LDL cholesterol, the type of cholesterol that we want to keep in check. In turn this serves to help maintain heart health.

·       Helping to lower blood sugar levels. Fruits that are higher in fibre tend to release their sugars at a slower rate improving blood sugar levels. A high fibre diet reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

·       Helping achieve a healthy body weight. High fibre meals tend to help us feel fuller for longer. This satiation can lead to less overeating.

·       Protection from common mortality causes. Studies suggest that increasing your dietary fibre intake is associated with a reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and some cancers.



With the above taken into context, it’s not an overstretch to claim that increasing the amount of dietary fibre in an individual’s diet is likely to have both a short term and long term impact, perhaps even improving longevity. So how much is enough? Current guidelines state that adults should aim to consume 30g of fibre daily however it’s estimated that many UK adults are falling short of this by up to 50%. With many individuals now taking an interest in macro focused nutritional plans it shouldn’t be too much of a leap to start to include a target amount of fibre in that equation and in doing so the effects are likely to be positive and far reaching.