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The Benefits Of Fibre: How To Increase Your Fibre Intake | Nutritionist Explains | Myprotein
Jan 30, 2025
Fibre is beneficial to health in so many ways. This expert dietitian explains why.
Elle Kelly, registered dietitian, dives deep into fibre, exploring the benefits of fibre, and how you can incorporate enough fibre in your diet to avail all of the benefits.
If you're wondering, 'what is fibre?', watch this video to find out more.
Quick tip: you can increase the fibre in your diet by…
Choosing high-fibre, whole-grain breakfast cereals
Choosing wholegrain bread, pasta, and other cereals
Keeping the skin on fruits and vegetables as this is where the fibre is
Topping meals with nuts and seeds
Adding lentils, beans and chickpeas to curries, soups and stews
Include fruits and vegetables as part of snacks
***
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to fibre
00:21 - What is fibre?
06:44 - Any more fibre questions?
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0:00
fiber is often spoken about in the
0:01
context of gut health however fiber is
0:04
beneficial to Health in so many other
0:09
ways my name is l and I'm a registered
0:11
dietitian specializing in disordered
0:13
eating and Sports Nutrition we're going
0:15
to explore the benefits of fiber and how
0:16
you can incorporate enough fiber into
0:18
your diet to Avail of these benefits
0:20
firstly what is fiber dietary fiber is a
0:23
type of carbohydrate that isn't absorbed
0:25
in the body unlike other carbohydrates
0:27
fiber is not broken down into sugar
0:29
molecules during digestion instead it
0:31
passes through the digestive system
0:33
relatively intact and encourages the
0:35
movement of material inside the gut
0:36
fiber is found exclusively in Plants
0:38
fruits and vegetables are great sources
0:40
of fiber but other plants are rich in
0:42
fiber too like whole grains beans and
0:44
legumes and nuts and seeds there are two
0:46
main types of fiber soluble and
0:48
insoluble fiber soluble fiber dissolves
0:51
in water forming a gel-like substance in
0:53
the digestive tract this is found in
0:55
things like oats barley legumes and
0:57
fruits it's easy to digest which helps
0:59
helps to feed the good bacteria in our
1:01
gut insoluble fiber doesn't dissolve in
1:03
water and isn't easy to digest so it
1:05
adds bulk to stool which encourages it
1:07
to pass through the digestive system and
1:09
prevent constipation this is found in
1:11
whole grains nuts and seeds and
1:13
vegetables not only can fiber help to
1:15
prevent constipation and promote regular
1:17
bowel movements but it also supports a
1:19
healthy gut microbiota what's the gut
1:21
microbiota I hear you ask the gut
1:23
microbiota refers to the collection of
1:25
beneficial bacteria or probiotics that
1:27
we have in our gut these are important
1:28
for providing us with energy and
1:30
nutrients supporting immune function and
1:32
keeping our gut healthy imbalances in
1:34
the gut and bad gut bacteria is known as
1:36
disbiosis and this can not only cause
1:39
uncomfortable gut symptoms like bloating
1:41
and constipation but can also increase
1:43
the risk of diseases like inflammatory
1:44
bowel disease and diabetes so how can we
1:47
look after our gut microbiota Prebiotic
1:49
fiber feeds the beneficial bacteria in
1:51
our guts inulin and ala fructose are the
1:54
two main types of Prebiotic fiber and
1:56
both of these have been shown to
1:58
increase the levels of probiotics in our
1:59
G cut as well as reduce cholesterol
2:01
levels reduce the risk of colon cancer
2:03
promote immunity and help with the
2:05
synthesis of certain vitamins especially
2:07
vitamin K and increase the absorption of
2:09
magnesium and calcium fermented foods
2:11
like sauerkraut kombucha pickles as well
2:13
as yogurt and cafir are great sources of
2:16
Prebiotic fiber fruits veg and whole
2:18
grains also contain Prebiotic fiber like
2:20
onions garlic apples and bananas as I
2:22
mentioned fiber is not just important
2:24
for our good health one of the other
2:26
amazing benefits of fiber is that it can
2:27
remove excess cholesterol and other
2:29
waste from our body high fiber diets
2:31
have been closely correlated to a
2:33
reduction in the risk of cardiovascular
2:35
disease this is because fiber can help
2:37
to reduce certain toxins and nutrients
2:39
from being absorbed into the Bloods
2:40
including cholesterol it has been
2:42
estimated that for every 7 gr extra of
2:44
fiber per day it can reduce the risk of
2:47
heart disease by 9% and Stroke by 7%
2:50
have you ever heard that oats can reduce
2:52
cholesterol well oats and barley contain
2:54
a type of soluble fibroid known as beta
2:56
glucan which binds to cholesterol Rich
2:58
bile acids and prevents them from being
3:00
absorbed research has shown that 3 gam
3:02
of better gluten per day is required to
3:04
help lower cholesterol levels with one
3:06
study finding that LDL or bad
3:08
cholesterol levels were reduced by 15%
3:11
and total cholesterol levels were
3:13
reduced by almost 9% when individuals
3:15
consumed 3 gram of B glucan per day for
3:18
8 weeks you don't have to go chomping
3:19
down porridge to Avail of these benefits
3:21
as any recipe that provides at least 30
3:24
G of Oats will provide around 1 gr of
3:26
better glucan so including oats in the
3:28
diet through things like granola musle
3:30
and oat cakes can be really helpful
3:31
barley is also a good source of beta
3:33
glucan so adding barley to soups stews
3:35
or even rados can help to increase your
3:37
intake of this beneficial fiber a diet
3:40
rich in fiber can also help with
3:41
appetite and blood sugar regulation
3:43
fiber can help us to feel physically
3:44
Fuller for longer as it absorbs water
3:46
and swells which increases the feeling
3:48
of fullness high fiber foods tend to
3:50
have a lower glycemic index meaning that
3:53
they cause BL blood sugar levels to rise
3:54
and fall slowly which helps to provide
3:57
longer lasting energy and keep our
3:59
energy and appetite levels more stable
4:01
fiber cannot be broken down by digestive
4:03
enzymes but it can be metabolized by
4:05
certain species of bacteria within the
4:06
gut through a process known as anerobic
4:09
fermentation this process produces short
4:11
chain fatty acids which can promote
4:13
satiety by slowing gut motility and can
4:15
support glucose regulation and lipid
4:17
metabolism glucose metabolism is
4:19
regulated by the production of the
4:20
hormone insulin which is responsible for
4:23
taking glucose in the bloodstream into
4:25
the cells so that it can be used for
4:26
energy long-term Studies have shown that
4:28
fiber can reduce the risk of developing
4:30
type 2 diabetes but can also improve
4:33
markers of diabetes such as hba1c which
4:35
is a test that measures the amount of
4:37
glucose attached to red blood cells and
4:39
gives an indication of how well your
4:41
diabetes is controlled a recent
4:43
systematic review and meta analysis on
4:45
the impact of dietary fiber and whole
4:47
grains in the management of diabetes
4:49
highlighted improved insulin sensitivity
4:51
HBO andc lipid profile and weight
4:53
regulation dietary fiber has also been
4:55
associated with the reduced risk of
4:57
colorl cancer which is a term used us to
4:59
describe both colon and rectal cancers
5:01
colar rectal cancer is the third most
5:03
common cancer worldwide numerous Studies
5:05
have found an association between
5:07
dietary fiber intake and risk of colorl
5:09
cancer there are a few reasons for this
5:12
high fiber diets have been associated
5:14
with lower levels of inflammation in the
5:15
colon and a reduced risk of developing
5:17
polyps for which some types can become
5:19
cancerous fiber can also encourage
5:21
regular bowel movements which means that
5:23
harmful chemicals spend less time in the
5:25
bowel and the production of the short
5:26
chain fatty acid butr can reduce the
5:29
risk of tumors in the bowel developing
5:31
research has suggested that an increase
5:33
of fiber by 7 gr can reduce the risk of
5:35
coloral cancer by 8% so as we can see
5:38
fiber has many benefits for our health
5:40
it is advised that adults should be
5:42
getting at least 30 gram of dietary
5:43
fiber per day to optimize these health
5:45
benefits but figures suggest that the
5:47
average fiber intake for adults falls
5:49
short by around 40% with 18 G being the
5:52
average intake you can increase the
5:53
fiber in your diet by choosing high
5:56
fiber whole grain breakfast cereals
5:58
choosing whole grain breads pasta and
6:00
other cereals keeping the skin on fruits
6:02
and vegetables as this is where the
6:04
fiber is and Topping meals with nuts and
6:06
seeds adding things like lentils beans
6:08
and chickpeas to curries soups and stews
6:10
and including fruits and vegetables as
6:12
part of the snack can all help to boost
6:14
your fiber intake be mindful to
6:16
gradually increase your fiber intake in
6:18
order to avoid symptoms like bloating
6:19
and gas as your digestive system adjusts
6:22
as much as fiber can be helpful for
6:24
preventing constipation too much fiber
6:26
can sometimes cause it so ensure to
6:28
drink plenty of fluid throughout the day
6:30
particularly with meals that are high in
6:31
fiber and be conscious to increase your
6:33
fluid intake as you increase your fiber
6:35
intake to help it to move through the
6:37
digestive system fiber is essential to
6:39
support our gut but as you can see it
6:41
impacts our health in so many other ways
6:43
too if you've got any questions please
6:45
leave them in the comment section below
6:47
and be sure to like this video and hit
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subscribe so that you don't miss out on
6:51
any other great evidence-based nutrition
6:58
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