Fibre Fitness
Most western diets contain about 1/2 of the daily recommended fibre that you need. However you need to allow your body to adjust gradually to increasing fibre intake, so start low and go slow to improve your fibre fitness. The gut needs a period of adaptation as the fibre intake increases.
For a female aim for 25 grams per day and for a male 38 grams per day. Whilst these are general daily recommended amounts, they may even represent a minimum goal and ideally fibre intake should be even higher.
What is fibre?
That part of the plant that is essentially indigestible for humans. When fibre reaches the large intestine it is the vital food source for your resident gut bacteria. They ferment the fibre which in turn produces short chain fatty acids (SCFA). SCFA are very important metabolites as they stabilise the integrity of the gut wall and also act as a direct food source for the cells that line the large intestine.
SCFA also act as key messengers between the microbiota and the Immune System ensuring a balance between the pro- and anti- inflammatory pathways.
Fibre tips:
- Enjoy diverse fibre sources – the more diverse the better – include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts and legumes
- Aim for 30 different plants every week
- Try and keep the skins on where possible
- Start low and go slow – when increasing fibre
- Over time aim to add 1 tbsp of Flaxseed and 1 tbsp of Pumpkin seeds to your breakfast (that’s almost 5 grams of fibre)
- Cereal fibres often contain high grams of carbohydrates (sugars)
- Prebiotic Fibre - a subclass of fibre that positively influences the growth of beneficial bacteria like Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. Some examples include Inulin, Fructo-Oligosaccharide and Galacto-Oligosaccharide. There is no consensus for a daily prebiotic fibre recommendation however 3-8 grams per day is a common suggested dose. Some prebiotic fibres and can cause side effects such as gas, bloating and abdominal cramping if used in high doses. The best way to minimise this is to start at the lowest dose and try introducing new prebiotic foods in small amounts; halve your prebiotic supplement dose or take it on alternate days.
- Foods high in prebiotic fibre are garlic, chicory root, artichoke, leeks, asparagus and onions.
