New research has shown that upping your fibre intake can lower the risk of life-threatening diseases.
Evidence published today from the University of Otago in New Zealand has shown that increased fibre intake can lower the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer.
Clinical trials spanning 40 years were conducted to make the link, comparing participants lower fibre consumers to higher fibre consumers.
Per every 1,000 participants, higher consumption of fibre led into 13 fewer deaths and six fewer cases of coronary heart disease when compared to those consuming lower fibre diets.
Dr Andrew Reynolds, of the Department of Medicine and the University of Otago’s Edgar Diabetes and Obesity Research Centre, said: “The results provide convincing evidence that we should increase our dietary fibre intake and replace refined grains with whole grains.
“Practical ways to increase fibre intake is to base meals and snacks around whole grains, vegetables, pulses and whole fruits.”
The study was by the World Health Organisation to develop new fibre recommendations and determine which types of carbohydrate provide the best protection against diseases and weight gain.
Dr Reynolds continues: “Fibre and whole grains are important physiologically, metabolically, and even to gut microbiome. Eating high fibre and whole grain foods is of a clear benefit to our health by reducing the occurrence of a surprisingly broad range of important diseases,” he says.
Do you know how much fibre you need?
The intricacies of healthy eating can get complicated to the everyday person, so we took to the streets and asked Bournemouth residents if they knew how much fibre you need in a day.
The study indicates that we should have 25g to 29g of fibre daily, but most of us consume less than 20g daily.
Fibre-ful foods you should know about
What foods have the most fibre? Flip the cards below to find out.
Our Buzz News reporter put this together to help you decide.
Starlet Solanke can lead the line for England, says Howe