Top 5 Health Benefits of Fibre

1. Aids in achieving a healthy weight

Increasing your daily fibre intake may assist you to feel fuller faster, keep you fuller for longer, and reduce your appetite throughout the day to support your weight loss/management goals.

Soluble fibre, in particular, can soak up water in the intestine creating a gel-like substance, slowing the rate of absorption of nutrients which can increase your feeling of fullness, leading to a reduced calorie intake to support weight loss. Fibre also binds to fat and slows down the absorption of fat molecules from what you eat which can sometimes help reduce the total calories absorbed from your meal.

2. Reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Soluble fibre can slow the absorption of sugar from the intestines into the bloodstream which may help regulate and maintain healthy blood sugar levels. It is important to stabilize your blood sugar levels, as chronic high blood sugar spikes can contribute to weight gain, unstable energy levels, and may lead to Type 2 diabetes.

3. Maintain bowel and gut health

Soluble fibre dissolves in water and can be metabolized by the “good” bacteria in your gut! Your gut microbiota is crucial for various aspects of your health, including weight, blood sugar control, immune function and even brain function.

Trillions of naturally-occurring bacteria in your gut feed on the fibre you have eaten while it is being digested. A diet with adequate fibre intake can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria. A diverse range of gut bacteria collectively make up the “gut microbiome” which plays a key role in extracting vitamins and minerals to then put them to work in your bloodstream.

Fibre also contributes to a friendlier intestinal environment; the friendly bacteria in the colon ferment fibre into short-chain fatty acids (SCFA’s), healthy nutrients that can be used in the body.

4. Lower cholesterol

High cholesterol levels are closely linked to heart diseases such as atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD). Soluble fibre may help lower your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, known as the “bad” cholesterol, without lowering the good cholesterol (HDL) levels. As mentioned above, as soluble fibre absorbs water and forms a gel-like substance, this allows it to collect cholesterol and carries it out of the body through your stools.

5. Live longer!

Studies suggest that increasing your daily dietary fibre intake may be associated with reduced mortality risk from chronic diseases including heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and several types of cancer such as colon cancer. Fibre may help support your overall health and well-being by acting as a “biological broom”, sweeping potentially toxic waste products through the intestines more quickly. Furthermore, fibre has shown to improve lipid profiles, lower blood pressure, improve insulin sensitivity, and possibly reduce inflammation.