Health Benefits of Fibre

You may have heard of fibre before; most people think about fibre with helping relieve constipation. But did you know that fibre has so many more good things going for it?! Before we get into that, let’s talk about what fibre is.

Fibre is a component of food that does not get broken down by our gut. Wait a minute, if it’s not broken down, then why is fibre of any use to me? Well actually, the fact that fibre does not break down is what makes it special.

Let’s explore the different types of fibre. There are two types of fibre, soluble and insoluble fibre:

Soluble fibre – soluble fibre changes in your gut to create a thick gel. The gel slows things down in your gut which:

Helps you feel fuller longer
Helps lower blood sugar levels by slowing down carbohydrate digestion
May help prevent diabetes by lowering the risk of insulin resistance caused by the build-up of fat around your organs
May help lower cholesterol levels

Insoluble fibre – this type of fibre does not change in water. It travels through the gut without changing. This is the kind of fibre that is great for keeping you regular. Insoluble fibre can also:

Prevent constipation
Reduce risk of haemorrhoids
Help feed the good bacteria in your gut that can keep your gut healthy

Fibre is found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains like oats and barley, as well as in nuts, seeds and beans.

A great way of getting more fibre in your diet is by adding boosters! They can be added to your favourite foods like yogurt, smoothies, baked goods to boost the fibre content

Fibre Booster	Carbohydrate	Fibre
Hemp Hearts, 2tbsp	2g	1g
Chia Seeds, 2 tbsp	10g	10g
Flaxseed, 2 tbsp ground	4g	4g
Oat bran 1/3 cup raw	26g	7g
Large Flake Oats 1/3 cup raw	20g	3g