When it comes to macronutrients and diet, everyone knows that it’s important to eat carbohydrates, protein and fats but little is often thought about when it comes to fibre and it being an important macronutrient in the diet.

What actually is fibre?

Fibre is a type of carbohydrate. But unlike those you usually think of, fibre cannot be broken down by the human digestive system. Instead, it travels through the gut undigested which is actually a good thing as it acts like a broom.

There are two main types of fibre to consider – soluble and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre is fibre that absorbs a lot of water, whereas insoluble fibre does not. Both are essential nutrients within a healthy diet, but each offers unique benefits.

What are the benefits of fibre?

For something that we don’t actually digest and absorb, fibre has a lot to offer in terms of health benefits. Consuming enough fibre has been linked to:

• Improved blood sugar regulation (which can be great to support gestational diabetes)

• Increased satiety

• Reduced risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome

• Improvement in digestive complaints such as constipation (this is such a common one in my clinic)

• Enhanced immunity

• Enhanced weight loss for those attempting to lose weight

When it comes to specific benefits, soluble fibre may be able to reduce blood cholesterol and aid with blood sugar regulation. Insoluble fibre adds bulk to your stools, making bowel movements more pleasant which is always a bonus, no one really likes little hard nugget poo or pain with a bowel movement.

If you are pregnant fibre is always best to add into your diet where able (I know it can be tough when feeling unwell) as it can assist with influence gene activity in the heart and cardovascular disease. Its also beneficial to have looser stools than harder when pregnant, specially if there is a history of hemorrhoids, pain in the pelvic floor and to ensure you are having regular bowel movements.

Fibre-rich foods to add

Ready to boost your fibre intake? Some of the best fibre sources in your diet might include:

• Fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, avocado, apples and pears or my favourite, passionfruit

• Vegetables such as sweet potato, Brussel sprouts, artichoke, tomato, beetroot, broccoli, kale and spinach

• Legumes and beans such as lentils, chickpeas, split peas and kidney beans

• Nuts such as almonds, pistachios and walnuts.

• Seeds such as flax seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds (if you eat chia seeds, please soak them before ingestion) I have a fantastic recipe you can view here.

• Wholegrains such as oats, brown rice and popped corn

You can also add fibre into your diet with supplements. However, I don’t recommend doing so without the supervision of a qualified practitioner. If you’d like to book into to see me, I would love to help. You can book in for an initial naturopathic consultation by following the link here or alternatively if you would like to arrange a compatibility report please follow the link here. It saves the guess work in what foods may be causing issues within your body.

Too much fibre can be a problem

If you over-consume any nutrient, problems can arise. This goes for fibre as well. Excessive amounts of fibre can cause digestive complaints such as pain, bloating and gas. Fibre is also able to bind to minerals, and could increase the risk of mineral deficiencies so it is always best to get advice rather than just go have a meal and be in pain, it takes your body time to digest them if its not commonly in your diet. This can be combated by also reviewing your gut microflora and supporting it with strain specific pre and probiotics. If you do want to try adding in more fibre, I do recommend gradually increasing it over a few weeks.

Not sure how to add fibre into your current diet? Book in for a Naturopath Consultation here. I work online and Australia wide.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24180564

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3544045/

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/85/4/1157/4648880

https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(09)02062-9/fulltext

https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article-abstract/67/4/188/1901012/Health-benefits-of-dietary-fiber?redirectedFrom=fulltext

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B012227055X009238