Back to knowledge libraryGut-friendly Fibre
A healthy gut does far more than just aid digestion – it plays a powerful role in supporting our immune system, regulating mood, and ensuring we absorb the vital nutrients our bodies need to feel their best every day. And at the heart of good gut health is fibre, which feeds our beneficial gut bacteria and helps everything run smoothly. However, as a nation we are actually lacking in the dietary intake of fibre. Whilst we are supposed to be consuming 30g of fibre per day, we average out at just 19g, with fibre intake falling by 3% in the last 10 years!
In fact, powerful data from a variety of cohort studies suggest that for every additional 7 grams of fibre consumed per day, there is an anticipated 8% reduction in the risk of developing colorectal cancer ( SACN Citation 2015).1 2
There is also data to show that high-fibre diets are associated with a 26% lower incidence of Irritable Bowel Disease and a 52% lower incidence of Crohn’s Disease. 3 4
Dried fruits and nuts offer convenient and tasty snacks which are rich in fibre and other bioactive healthful nutrients, which are shown to support gut health and reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer, according to many of the studies carried out on the health effects of a high-fibre diet.
Best fibre-rich dried fruits, nuts and seeds:
References:
- SACN Recommendation on Carbohydrates and Fibre 2015 SACN Carbohydrates and Health Report – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Burley et al, BMJ. 2013; 347: f6879. Dietary fibre intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: systematic review and meta-analysis – PMC (nih.gov)
- BMC Gastroenterology, 21, 139, 202, Freeman et al. The incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease in UK primary care: a retrospective cohort study of the IQVIA Medical Research Database | BMC Gastroenterology | Full Text (biomedcentral.com)
- WebMD website – Sugar and Disease https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/features/how-sugar-affects-your-body