Fibre – Great for Your Gut

The term dietary fibre probably rings a bell. But what is it that makes fibre so important? Find out more about this essential part of our nutrition, its benefits and how you can get plenty in your diet.

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Why is fibre so important?

Fibre, or roughage, is a form of carbohydrate that is, for the most part, indigestible. These plant fibres pass through your body, doing really useful things like aiding your digestion and helping the bacteria in your gut. With 9.9 g of fibre per 100g, oatmeal is a particularly good choice. (1) The fibre in oats helps to keep blood sugar levels low, which is beneficial for diabetics as high blood sugar is a risk for diabetes. They also help to lower cholesterol levels, another important aspect as elevated cholesterol is associated with heart disease. (2,3)

Depending on how they react in water, a distinction is made between soluble and insoluble dietary fibres. If there’s one basic rule for a diet rich in fibre it’s that you should always drink plenty of fluids! Only if you’re drinking enough will the fibres swell up and work their magic, including among other things preventing constipation and keeping you regular. (3)

Insoluble fibre slows down the speed at which food passes through your stomach, making you feel full for longer. (2) Soluble dietary fibre is beneficial for the intestinal flora. (3)

What’s the daily recommended intake of fibre?

The general guideline is that adults should eat around 30g of fibre per day (4). If you find it difficult to reach this amount, we have some tips and tricks on how you can easily add fibre to your daily diet.

Which foods contain dietary fibre and how can I get my daily recommended intake?

It can sometimes be a challenge to cover your recommended daily intake of nutrients, and fibre is no exception. A good rule of thumb is that wholemeal products, vegetables, nuts and fruit all contain lots of fibre. So when it comes to rice, pasta and bread, you should always choose wholemeal products. Dark rye bread, for example, contains 7.2g per 100g (5).

To increase your fibre intake, you could start your day with a sugar-free muesli. Oatmeal combined with some fruit, chia seeds (40.9g per 100g (6)) or linseed (22.3g per 100g (7)) will up your fibre intake.

If you’re changing your diet to include more fibre you should introduce it slowly at first to give your digestion time to get used to all the new fibre (3).

A really easy way of upping your fibre intake is to scatter a topping of seeds and nuts on your salad or use them in baking. Or how about a lentil bolognese (brown lentils contain 11.2g fibre per 100g (8)) with wholemeal pasta or a brown rice bowl heaped with vegetables?

The perfect in-between snack – you may have already guessed it – are our RAWBITE bars, which are naturally high in fibre. The main ingredients – almonds (10.6g per 100g (9)) and dates (6.4g per 100g (10)) – are chock-a-block with fibre and a healthy snack for when you need a boost.

Pure Taste. Pure Joy.

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