We have known for a long time that eating a high-fibre diet is good for us. Many studies have shown that a high fibre diet is associated with lower risk of heart disease, obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, constipation, breast cancer and various gastrointestinal conditions.
In order to get those benefits, it is suggested that we should eat between 20 and 35 g of dietary fibre each day (Devinder et al., 2012).
Briefly, a fibre-rich diet is lower in energy density, often has a lower fat content, is larger in volume and is richer in micronutrients. This huge mass of food takes much longer to eat and digest, what extend its presence its in the stomach for longer and give us nice feeling of satiety sooner, and fullness in long term (Devinder et al., 2012).
Different shades of fibre
There are two primary kinds of dietary fibre:
- Soluble fibre, which is found in nuts, seeds, beans, many fruits, pulses, oatmeal and oat bran. In your body soluble fibre dissolves in water. Eating it helps lower your blood sugar levels and your cholesterol as well.
- Insoluble fibre, which cannot dissolve in water. It is found in whole grains, seeds and most of fruits and vegetables. Its bulk helps to move food through your digestive system, which helps prevent constipation.
Both kind of fibre pass through your gastrointestinal track without being broken down into glucose. Instead being digested, they remain relatively intact in your intestines, where they provide food for your gut microbes.
If you don’t eat enough fibre, some of your gut microbes can start to die off. Others may fed on your gut’s muscus lining. This is a big problem, because when your mucosal lining gets damaged, bacteria can penetrate the gut. This can alarm your immune system, which will start to make an inflammatory response that can harm your body, and if continues that might result in chronic inflammation.
Above solubility
There is much more than just soluble and insoluble fiber … There are different types of dietary fibers that have various physiological effects, and ultimately, potential health effects.
What are they?
Cellulose– insoluble fibre.
Where you can find it? The most cellulose rich sources are broccoli, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower; legumes, nuts and bran.
Why it is important? Cellulose binds to other food components, what help to move that food along. It also supports the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.
Inulin– soluble fibre.
Where you can find it? The most inulin rich sources are: chicory root, bananas, garlic, onions, and asparagus, as well as in wheat (like barley and rye).
Why it is important? Inulin, leave you feeling fuller for longer by slowing digestion, meaning that it takes longer for your body to absorb sugar from the foods that you eat, what prevents sudden blood sugar spikes. Inulin also promotes the growth of beneficial flora associated with improving gastrointestinal (GI) and general health.
Pectins– soluble fibre.
Where you can find it? The best pectin sources are: apples, strawberries, citrus fruits, carrots, and potatoes, and in smaller amounts in legumes and nuts.
Why it is important? Pectins help reduce blood sugar spikes in response of foods by stalling glucose absorption. They may help to lower cholesterol levels by flushing fatty acids out of the body.
Beta glucans– soluble fibre.
Where you can find it? You can find beta glucans in oats, barley, shiitake mushrooms, and reishi mushrooms.
Why it is important? Beta glucans are considered as prebiotic, meaning that they provide “food” for good gut bacteria. This may help in increasing satiety and managing blood sugar levels, by delaying the rate at which food leaves the stomach and slow transit time within the intestines.
Psyllium– soluble fibre.
Where you can find it? You can find psyllium in plant seeds/husks and some cereals.
Why it is important? Psyllium might prevent constipation. By forming gel-like substance, psyllium binds to sugars, what helps to slow down spikes in blood sugar levels. It also provides food for gut bacteria.
Lignin– insoluble fibre.
Where you can find it? You can find lignin in whole grain foods (wheat and corn bran), legumes (beans and peas), vegetables (green beans, cauliflower, zucchini), fruits (avocado, unripe bananas), and nuts and seeds (flaxseed).
Why it is important? Lignin, similarly to cellulose promotes health of your gastrointestinal health. By preventing constipation and enabling transit of food in your intestine, might even protect you against colon cancer.
Resistant starch– insoluble fibre.
Where you can find it? Resistant starch rich foods are mostly beans and legumes.
Why it is important? Resistant starch as fermentable fiber, feeds bacteria in your gut, and together with immune system and microflora, help to guard against any pathogenic bacteria that attempts to enter your body. It can also help with weight loss by taming appetite and blood sugar spikes, and promote heart health by lowering cholesterol.
Easy ways to eat more fibre
Now we know that fibre is important for us. But what we can do to get it more into our meals?
- Swap fruit juice for whole fruit with skin on.
- Choose whole grains instead processed grains, by swapping white rice fir brown rice.
- Eat whole grain bread, pasta, and cereals instead white versions.
- Look for products which has ‘fibre’ in the top position on the label.
- Replace some of meat with lentils and beans.
- Eat fruit/vegetable at every meal.
- For snacks, choose raw veggies and fibre rich dips, like guacamole, hummus, salsa or bean dip.
- Add to your salads seeds, beans, lentils and peas.
- Try new grains, such as amaranth, barley, bulgur, quinoa. They are rich in fibre and much better choice than white rice or potatoes.
- Swap mayonnaise for hummus.
- Instead of breadcrumbs, use seeds and mashed nuts as coating for baked fish or meat.
High fibre food list
Dietary fibre is naturally present in cereals, vegetables, fruits and nuts, however its amount and composition can differ from food to food. Several non-starch food provide up to 20–35 g of fibre/100 g dry weight while fruits and vegetables is 1.5–2.5 g/100 g of dry weight (Devinder et al., 2012).
Nuts and seeds:
- Flaxseed (22.33g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Almonds (11.2g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Coconut (9.0g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Brazil nuts (9.0g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Hazelnuts (6g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Walnuts (5.0g of fibre in 100g portion);
Grains and cereals:
- Wheat bran (44g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Barley (17.3g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Wheat whole grain (12.6g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Crispbread rye (12g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Oats (10.3g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Wholemeal bread/roll (7g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Brown bread (5g of fibre in 100g portion);
Legumes & pulses:
- White beans (17.7g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Soy (15.0g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Lentils (11.4g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Kidney beans (6.3g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Chickpeas (6.0g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Peas (3.5g of fibre in 100g portion);
Vegetables:
- Beetroot (2.5g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Eggplant (6.6g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Leeks (4.0g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Broccoli (3.29g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Brussels sprouts (3.0g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Cabbage (3.0g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Spinach (6.5g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Carrot (2.5g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Mushrooms (2.5g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Sweet potato (2.5g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Turnips (2.0g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Cauliflower (2.0g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Celery (1.5g of fibre in 100g portion).
Fruits:
- Dates (8.5g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Blackberries/Raspberries (7.5g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Kiwi (3.4g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Pear (3.0g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Strawberry (2.2g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Apples (2.0g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Peach (1.9g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Oranges (1.8g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Mango (1.8g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Bananas (1.7g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Plums (1.6g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Grapes (1.2g of fibre in 100g portion);
- Pineapple (1.2g of fibre in 100g portion);
Considering fibre supplements
Some studies have shown that taking fibre supplements can help you loose weight. But there is much more benefit from taking fibre than the nice body shape … fibre provides vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients that are good for you and that may help you with weight loss. And fibre supplements contain only certain type of fibre, while actual food provides you with mixture of both. Of course there is no harm to consider and add to your diet supplements like psyllium husk/seeds or methylcellulose. However you should keep in mind that they interrupt with absorption of certain medications.
Plant foods can have both kind of fibre in them which is why it’s important to eat different kinds of high fibre foods. Both kinds of fibre are important for your good health.
If you want to find out more:
7 Types of Fiber, Explained. Cooking light. Available here.
Dietary Fiber. Available here.
Devinder D, Mona M, Hradesh R, Patil RT. Dietary Fibre in foods: a review. J Food Sci Technol (May–June 2012) 49(3):255–266. Available here.
Book: The loose your belly diet by Dr Travis Stork. Find it here.
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