TOP 10 AMAZING HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING MORE FIBRE
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Evidence based
“Eat more fibre.”
I am sure you have heard that sentence before. But why should you?
On average, the UK population only eats about 18g of fibre a day, well below the recommended 30g per day. Fewer than 1 in 10 adults eats 30g of fibre daily. That means >90% of us are not eating enough of it.
1. HELPS YOU LIVE LONGER
Study involving about 388 000 people found, that those who consumed higher amounts of fibre had a significantly lower risk of dying over a nine-year period, compared to those who consumed lower amounts of fibre. Participants fibre intake ranged from 10.8 to 29.4 grams per day (1).
2. LOWERS RISK OF BREAST CANCER
Researchers found that premenopausal women who ate >6 grams of soluble fibre a day had 62% lower odds of breast cancer compared with women who consumed <4 grams a day (2). It is important to mention that the women in the study were getting their fibre from food, not from supplements. This suggests, there may be something else in plant foods that is protective, not just fibre itself.
Every 20 grams of fibre intake per day is associated with a 15% lower risk of breast cancer (3).
3. IMPROVES BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS
The small intestine is our largest surface area exposed to the outside world, with roughly the surface area of a tennis court. Nutrients are delivered to the small intestine via a thin liquid called chyme. Chyme is mixed with digestive enzymes to help nutrient degradation before their absorption. Gel‐forming fibres will make chyme thicker which slows the degradation and the absorption of glucose and other nutrients (4).
4. NORMALIZES STOOL & BOWEL MOVEMENTS
Dietary fibre increases the size and weight of stool and softens it. A bulky stool is easier to pass, decreasing chance of constipation. Fibre may help to solidify loose watery stools because it absorbs water and adds bulk.
Nonfermented gel‐forming psyllium retains its high water‐holding capacity and provide a stool normalizing effect. It softens hard stool in constipation, firms loose/liquid stool in diarrhoea, and normalizes stool form in patients with IBS (5, 6). It is very important to drink enough water when increasing fibre intake.
5. LOWERS CHOLESTEROL
Soluble fibre found in beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (also known as ‘bad cholesterol).
The increase in chyme viscosity induced by gel forming fibre can lower elevated serum cholesterol by trapping and eliminating bile. Bile is released in response to a meal, and can be recovered and recycled several times within a given meal. A high‐viscosity gel significantly decreases the efficiency of reuptake, causing bile to be lost in the stool. This clearance of LDL cholesterol from the blood effectively lowers serum LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol, without significantly affecting high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (4) (also known as ‘good cholesterol). It should also be noted that viscosity alone, without gel‐formation, does not confer a cholesterol‐lowering benefit.
6. REDUCES RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD)
Hunter-gatherer populations are remarkable for their excellent metabolic and cardiovascular health. Their diets tend to be richer in fibre and micronutrients than modern diets (7). It is worth noting their activity levels are also high (you can read about the health benefits of exercise in my previous blog post HERE).
Higher consumption of fibre (especially beta glucans found in oats and barley) is associated with lower blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic) (8, 9).
Study in US adults found that the intakes of total, cereal, and vegetable fibre (but not fruit fibre), were associated with a decreased risk of hypertension (high blood pressure). The risk of hypertension gradually decreased as total dietary fibre intake increased (10).
7. REDUCES RISK OF COLORECTAL CANCER
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. Colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the UK. Growing evidence shows that about 47% of cases can be prevented by a healthy lifestyle. High dietary fibre intake has been associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer (11, 12).
8. HELPS YOU ACHIEVE HEALTHY WEIGHT
Researchers found that consumption of dietary fibre can prevent obesity and metabolic syndrome by promoting growth of "good" bacteria in the colon (13).
Fruits and vegetables contain both soluble and insoluble fibres (you can read more about the types of fibre in my previous blog post HERE . It has been reported that consumption of both soluble and insoluble fibres increase satiety.
High-fibre foods tend to be more filling, making us feel fuller faster for longer. High-fibre foods also tend to take longer to eat and to be less "energy dense," which means they have fewer calories for the same volume of food (14).
Prebiotics are found in some but not all fibre-rich foods. Some of the best sources: chicory, artichokes, garlic, onion, leeks, savoy cabbage, asparagus, legumes, bananas, oats, bran, almonds, flaxseed, dandelion greens and apples.
9. PREVENTS DIVERTICULITIS
Diverticulosis is a condition in which small, bulging pouches form inside the lower part of the intestine, usually in the colon. Constipation and straining during bowel movements can worsen the condition.
Diverticulitis occurs when the pouches in the colon become infected or inflamed.
A diet rich in fibre can help keep stools soft and prevent inflammation. Eating a high fibre diet may be helpful for people with diverticulosis who aren’t having an acute flare up and may even help prevent diverticulitis in the first place (15).
10. DECREASES GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE
Fibre-enriched diet led to a significant increase of minimal lower esophageal sphincter resting pressure, a decrease of number of gastroesophageal refluxes, and a decrease of heartburn frequency per week (16, 17). Include green vegetables, oats, grains, potatoes and fruit. Please note, citrus, tomato products and onion, especially raw onion are a common trigger for heartburn.
To find out how to get more fibre into your diet, read my previous blog post HERE.
Written by: Jana Papajova
Published on: 30th September 2019
References:
1. Calorie Control Council. (2019). ‘Fiber-Rich Diet Linked to Longevity’. (online).
2. Li, Q. Holford, T.R. Zhang, Y. et al. (2013). ‘Dietary fibre intake and risk of breast cancer by menopausal and estrogen receptor status’. European Journal of Nutrition, 52(1), pp.217-223.
3. Howe, G.R. Hirohata, T. Hislop, T.G. et al. (1990). ‘Dietary factors and risk of breast cancer combined analysis of 12 case control studies’. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 82(7), pp.561-569.
4. McRorie J. (2015). ‘Evidence‐based approach to fiber supplements and clinically meaningful health benefits, part 2: What to look for and how to recommend an effective fiber therapy’. Nutrition Today, 50(2), pp.90-97.
5. Lambeau, K. and McRorie, J. (2017). ‘Fiber supplements and clinically proven health benefits’. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 29(4), pp.216-223.
6. McRorie J. (2015). ‘Evidence‐based approach to fiber supplements and clinically meaningful health benefits, part 1: What to look for and how to recommend an effective fiber therapy’. Nutrition Today, 50, pp.82-89.
7. Lambeau, K. and McRorie, J. (2017). ‘Fiber supplements and clinically proven health benefits’. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 29(4), pp.216-223.
8. Evans, C. Greenwood, D. Threapleton, D. et al. (2015). ‘Effects of dietary fibre type on blood pressure’. Journal of Hypertension, 33(5), pp.897-911.
9. Streppel, M. (2005). ‘Dietary Fiber and Blood Pressure’. Archives of Internal Medicine, 165(2), p.150.
10. Sun, B. Shi, X. Wang, T. et al. (2018). ‘Exploration of the Association between Dietary Fiber Intake and Hypertension among U.S. Adults Using 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Blood Pressure Guidelines: NHANES 2007-2014’. Nutrients, 10(8), p.1091.
11. Gianfredi, V. Salvatori, T. Villarini, M. et al. (2018). ‘Is dietary fibre truly protective against colon cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis’. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 69(8), pp.904-915.
12. Song, M. Wu, K. Meyerhardt, J. et al. (2018). ‘Fiber Intake and Survival After Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis’. JAMA Oncology, 4(1), p.71.
13. Manobendro, S and Maksudur, R. (2017), ‘Dietary fiber and obesity management - a review’. Advances in Obesity Weight Management and Control, 7(3), pp.295-297.
14. Hervik, A. and Svihus, B. (2018). ‘The Role of Fiber in Energy Balance’. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2019, pp.1-11.
15. Crowe, F. Balkwill, A. Cairns, B. et al. (2014). ‘Source of dietary fibre and diverticular disease incidence: a prospective study of UK women’. Gut, 63(9), pp.1450-1456.
16. Morozov, S. Isakov, V. and Konovalova, M. (2018). ‘Fiber-enriched diet helps to control symptoms and improves esophageal motility in patients with non-erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease’. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 24(21), pp.2291-2299.
17. Wu, P. Zhao, X. Ai, Z. et al. (2013). ‘Dietary Intake and Risk for Reflux Esophagitis: A Case-Control Study’. Gastroenterology Research and Practice, 2013, pp.1-9.