Tired of feeling hungry an hour after eating? You might not be getting enough fibre.
It’s time to reconsider your dietary choices.
Fibre is found in foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Aim to consume at least 20-30 gms of fibre daily. The right amount of dietary fibre daily can reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and digestive disorders.
Wondering why is fibre so important?
Well, fibre is one of the major components that supports digestion, improves gut health, and aids in weight management. It also plays an important role in regulating blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and bowel movements.
This blog explores the different types of dietary fibre and its sources, the benefits of adding it to a balanced diet and much more. Read on.
How Much Dietary Fibre Do You Need Daily?
The recommended daily intake of dietary fibre is:
- Men: 30–38 grams per day
- Women: 21–25 grams per day
- Children: 19–25 grams per day
Why Is Fibre Important? Unveiling The Health Benefits of High-Fibre Diet
Consuming top high-fibre foods is like a boon to the body. It helps prevent heart disease, digestive issues, diabetes, and many others. The benefits of consuming high-fibre foods are plenty; we’ve compiled the best ones in this blog. So, let’s get started!
1. Aids in Weight Management
Do you often find yourself overeating or snacking on junk food? If yes, it’s time to rethink your diet. You need to include more fibre-rich foods like high-fibre snacks, high-fibre cookies, and dairy-free cookies into your daily diet to reduce overeating and frequent snacking.
High-dietary fibre foods keep you full for longer, avoiding the need to snack between meals. It also helps maintain steady energy levels, boosts metabolism, lowers body fat levels, and prevents sudden hunger spikes.
2. Promotes Regular Bowel Movements
Are you experiencing bowel issues like diarrhea or constipation? Grab a fibre-rich meal to prevent these issues. Afterall, fibre plays a vital role in promoting regular and healthy bowel movements.
Consume more whole grains as they are rich in insoluble fibre, which helps bulk up your stool while still keeping it soft.
Tip: Include plenty of water along with high-fibre diet to boost your gut health.
3. Supports Healthy Digestion
Fibre plays an important role in the digestion process. It improves intestinal microbiota and helps prevent diseases. Dietary fibre adds bulk to stools and regulates bowel movements, making them easier to pass, thereby preventing constipation. Insoluble dietary fibre promotes regular bowel movements and prevents digestive disorders. Soluble dietary fibre feeds gut-friendly bacteria, improves microbiome balance, and reduces bloating.
4. Promotes Gut Health
A high-dietary fibre diet reduces the risk of diseases related to gut health, like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Functional Dyspepsia, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Diverticulitis, and more.
Certain types of dietary fibre act as prebiotics, feeding good bacteria and improving digestion. Fibre also helps to maintain a balanced gut microbiome, reducing bloating and discomfort.
Fibre isn’t digested in our stomach; it instead passes into our colon, where it becomes food for the beneficial bacteria in our gut. Try to get as much fibre as possible from your diet to feed healthy gut bacteria.
5. Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
A high-fibre diet is beneficial for people with diabetes. This is because soluble dietary fibre slows the absorption of sugar, helping to prevent blood sugar spikes. This improves control over blood sugar.
The benefits of a fibre-rich diet include slower glucose absorption, improved insulin sensitivity, increased satiety, and a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Types Of Dietary Fibre and Sources (Source: Geims Hospital)
| Soluble Fibre Foods | Insoluble Fibre Foods | Resistant Starch Foods |
|---|---|---|
| Apples, Berries and Citrus Fruits | Whole Wheat, Brown Rice and Quinoa | Green Bananas |
| Flax Seeds, Chia Seeds | Nuts and Seeds | Lentils and Chickpeas |
| Oats, Barley, Beans and Lentils | Green Leafy Veggies, Broccoli and Carrot | Cooked and Cooled Rice and Potatoes |
Maximize the Benefits of a High-Fibre Diet Through Simple Snack Swaps
A high-dietary fibre diet is essential for maintaining good digestion, heart health, weight management, and overall well-being. It is recommended to increase the fibre intake gradually and consume plenty of water to receive the best results.
If you want to lower the risk of developing diseases, consider adding fibre-rich foods to your diet to make it healthy and well-balanced.
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FAQs
Yes, fibre-rich snacks are healthy and nutritious. They offer a wide range of benefits such as reduced risk of chronic diseases, regulate blood sugar levels, improve digestion, and more.
A few of the fibre-rich veggies include beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and kale.
Name some insoluble fibre foods.
A few of the insoluble fibre foods are kale, raspberries, quinoa, lentils, sesame seeds, walnuts, and split peas.
Some of the high-fibre foods for adults include fruits (berries, apples, pears), veggies (broccoli, sweet potato, green leafy), legumes (beans and chickpeas), nuts (almonds and chia seeds) and whole grains (oats, barley and brown rice).
