This is why you should eat lots of fibre-rich foods
Fibre supplements are making a major comeback. From gut gummies and capsules to Zoe’s new Daily30+ supplement (a scoop of plants), there are plenty of products on the market claiming to bolster gut health, aid digestion and ease constipation.
When it comes to good nutrition, experts say you shouldn’t sleep on a high-fibre diet – but before shopping for supplements, it helps to stock up on fibre-rich foods (think: whole grains, fruits and vegetables) first.
Consuming more fibre in your diet has many health benefits, says dietitian Deborah Cohen, an associate professor in the Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Science at Rutgers University.
Because fibre is typically found in plant-based foods, consuming more of those tends to be good for your overall health, she says. Fibre also helps your intestinal tract function optimally (read: it helps you to ‘go’), feeds your gut bacteria and plays an important role in preventing metabolic diseases, according to a 2022 study in Nutrients.
So, what does a high-fibre diet involve and can it help your gut health? Ahead, dietitians break down what fibre is, why it’s so special, how much you need, and simple ways to work more into your diet.
Meet the experts: Vanessa Rissetto is a dietitian and the CEO and co-founder of Culina Health. Deborah Cohen is a dietitian and an associate professor in the Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Science at Rutgers University. Nutritionist Karen Ansel is the author of Healthy in a Hurry.
What is fibre and how much do you need?
Fibre is a nutrient that’s essential for your bowel to work well. Foods high in fibre include wholemeal bread, wholegrain breakfast cereals, fruit and vegetables.
The current Government recommendation is 30g a day, according to the NHS. However, we are currently in a bit of a fibre crisis – since most adults only eat an average of about 18-20g per day (which is less than the recommended amount for a five-year-old).
‘Almost all of us could use more,’ says Karen Ansel, dietitian and author of Healthy in a Hurry. Without enough fibre, you’re more likely to be constipated and to feel sluggish and tired.
What does 30g of fibre look like? Aim for at least 8–10g of fibre each meal – for example, for breakfast, you could have 35g porridge oats (2.7g fibre), handful mixed nuts (1.3g fibre), teaspoon of chia seeds (2.6g fibre), 1/2 grated carrot (1.3g fibre), 1/2 grated apple (1g fibre) and 100g blueberries (1.5g fibre) = 10.4g fibre
Here are the different types of fibre to have on your radar:
Dietary fibre
This type is typically found in plants, says dietitian Vanessa Rissetto, co-founder and CEO of Culina Health. ‘It’s resistant to digestion in the human small intestine,’ she says, meaning you can’t digest fibre yourself, so it passes through your small intestine to your gut microbiome in your large intestine lower down. Dietary fibre can help keep your hunger and blood sugar in check, per Harvard Health.
Added fibre
Also known as ‘functional fibre,’ this type is added to foods during the manufacturing process, Cohen says.
‘Types of added fibre include beta-glucan soluble fibre, psyllium husk, cellulose, guar gum, pectin, locust bean gum, and hydroxyethylcellulose,’ she says. ‘These fibres are either found naturally in foods or made synthetically in a lab and added to foods to increase the fibre content of a food.’ Added fibre may help with lowering cholesterol and keeping you regular, Ansel says.
Soluble fiber
Soluble fibre interacts with water to create a gel-like substance, Cohen says. It is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, barley, nuts, and many vegetables, per Mount Sinai. It’s also known for its role in lowering cholesterol in the blood, per Cohen.
Insoluble fiber
This form of fibre doesn’t dissolve in water and is found in wheat products (especially wheat bran), quinoa, brown rice, legumes, and leafy greens, per Harvard Health. ‘Insoluble fibre works like a broom, moving food through your gut so it’s great for keeping you regular and preventing constipation,’ Ansel says.
Benefits of a high-fibre diet
Here are a few potential perks of going on a nutrient-dense high-fibre diet, according to experts.
1. More fibre may help lower your cholesterol
Fibre helps your heart health by trapping the ‘bad’ type of cholesterol and preventing it from being absorbed into your bloodstream.
Foods high in soluble fibre, in particular, may cause at least moderate (0.20-0.40 mmol/L) reductions in LDL cholesterol (the ‘bad’ kind), per a 2021 review in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases.
‘This gel blocks cholesterol absorption and whisks it out of the body, making it a powerful tool for anyone trying to lower their cholesterol,’ Ansel says. ‘Soluble fibre is so effective that consuming five to 10 grams a day has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol by five to 11 points,’ she says.
2. It supports good gut health
Loading up on fibre helps keep you regular (as in, pooping frequently), Cohen says. Keeping things moving also lowers your risk of constipation and diverticulosis, a condition where small pouches form in the lining of the intestine, she says.
Fibre-rich diets may help improve your gut microbiome, per a 2022 review in Trends in Food Science and Technology, since fibre feeds your gut bacteria so that they can produce short-chain fatty acids and other helpful metabolites.
3. It may lower your risk of certain diseases
Getting more fibre in your diet has been associated with a lowered risk of dying from heart disease and cancer, among other serious health conditions, per a study on dietary fibre in The Lancet.
High fibre intake is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, research shows, and it has even been linked to a lower risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer, per a 2020 study.
4. It helps you to feel full and may help with weight loss
‘Fiber promotes satiety and helps us feel full,’ Cohen says – this is mainly due to its bulkiness slowing down the emptying of your stomach.
Fibre also influences hormones that signal to your brain to tell you’re full, according to a 2024 review in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.
In addition to staying fuller for longer, if you’re trying to lose weight, increasing your fibre intake may be beneficial. In a recent 16-week study of 4,477 participants in the U.S., 62.5 per cent of people who participated in a plant-based, fibre-rich eating program reported weight loss (about 7.2 pounds on average).
Potential risks of a high-fibre diet
‘Adults — typically those who are vegans or following a raw food diet — could run into problems with too much fibre or if they increase their fibre intake too quickly,’ Cohen says.
Having more than 40 grams a day is usually too much for people, leading to uncomfortable symptoms like bloating, gas, feeling really full, cramps, diarrhoea, constipation, and nausea, she says.
This also means that having a high-fibre diet may not be ideal for people with certain bowel diseases. In fact, a low-fiber diet may be recommended for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBS) during a flare, per Mount Sinai. If you’re upping your fibre intake, be sure to drink plenty of water to avoid constipation.
Additionally, having too much fibre may also cause nutrient deficiencies of calcium, iron, and zinc, Cohen says. ‘Fiber binds to these nutrients and prevents their absorption,’ she says. If you suspect you may have a nutrient deficiency, consult your healthcare provider about lab tests and the best next steps.
General guidelines for a high-fibre diet
‘If you’d like to increase your fibre intake, start with small servings of fibre-rich foods to give your digestive system time to adjust,’ Ansel says. This may mean sprinkling a few tablespoons of canned black beans on top of tacos before amping up to having a mixture of half beef and half beans. ‘Once that feels comfortable, skip the beef and try a taco made entirely with beans,’ Ansel says.
It's a good idea to drink plenty of water when you’re having lots of fibre since fibre binds to water, she says. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting constipated or bloated.
Fibre supplements can be one way to increase your intake of nutrients, but Cohen doesn’t recommend going this route if you can help it. ‘Taking a fibre supplement does not make up for a diet that is low in fruits, veggies, and whole grains, or high in ultra-processed food,’ Cohen says. ‘Most published research on the health benefits of fibre were conducted in populations who consume foods high in fibre, and not just supplements with fibre.’
The bottom line: If you’re looking to increase your fibre intake, start slow. Listen to your body, and gradually increase things up from there.
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