Fibre is fantastic! We are all aware of the health benefits. However, most Australians aren't getting enough (1). So, for this weeks blog post, I will be your friendly neighbourhood Fibre-man. Here to provide you with all the info you need to get your recommended dose!
Where does it come from?
It's everywhere! Not really, but you can find it in a lot of different foods. For example, fruits and vegetables, wholegrain foods, nuts, and seeds are all great sources of fibre (2). Not only does fibre come from different yummy foods, there are also different kinds of fibre.
Different kinds of fibre!
As mentioned above, there are different kinds of fibre, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibre dissolves in water and can help lower blood cholesterol by reducing the amount absorbed in the small intestine (3). However, insoluble fibre does not dissolve in water. Instead, it absorbs water to make your poo nice and soft to prevent butthole bleeding (that's technical terminology) (4). Additionally, there is a third character in our fibre chronicles but isn't technically fibre.
Resistant Starch
Acts in a similar way to our other heroes but avoids digestion in the small intestine. Thereby, left to ferment in the large intestine and feed those gut bacteria you keep hearing about! I will dive into gut bacteria another time. For now, let's move on to conditions that fibre can help with, so we can all understand with fibre is so important!
Health conditions linked to low fibre diets
To keep it simple, most of them involve poo. Due to fibre assisting in the bulking and softening of faeces, any low fibre diet will give you a proper pain in the arse. Constipation, haemorrhoids, diverticulitis, IBS, and colon cancer are all associated with low fibre diets (5). Furthermore, overweight and obesity, coronary heart disease, and diabetes are also linked to low fibre diets.
Take home message
Eat lots of fibrous foods, drink lots of water, and fart a bit more. Farting is normal with a high fibre diet. Your body will thank you for it!
Ok, love you, bye!
Chris, aka Premium Pilates Dad
