By Did you know how crucial fibre is to your overall well-being? Beyond its role in digestion, fibre offers so many important benefits that contribute to a healthy lifestyle! In this article, we explore the importance of fibre in your diet and provide practical tips on how to easily increase your fibre intake to help with everything from reducing colon cancer risks and supporting healthy body weight to supporting haemorrhoids treatment with the help of a leading female surgeon and specialist colorectal surgeon in Melbourne.
What is Fibre?
Fibre, often classified as soluble and insoluble, is the indigestible component of our diet. This means it passes through the digestive system without being absorbed by the body. This distinction prompts questions such as “What happens when you add fibre to your diet?” and “Why is fibre important in your diet?” Let’s unravel these mysteries.
Why is Fibre Important in Your Diet?
- Fibre Bulks Up the Stool & Keeps the Bowels Healthy
The stool is predominantly composed of waste material, with dietary fibre playing a crucial role. Adequate fibre intake not only promotes regular bowel movements and prevents constipation, but also aids in cleansing the intestines. Our gut microbiome, those beneficial residents of our digestive system, thrive on the presence of fibre.
- Fibre Reduces Disease Risks
Extensive research shows consuming enough dietary fibre can lower the risk of conditions like haemorrhoids, diverticulosis, and even colorectal cancer, says a leading female surgeon and specialist colorectal surgeon in Melbourne. It acts as a protective shield for your gut health, boosting stool frequency and bulk while diluting its contents, expelling harmful chemicals from the bowel faster. Additionally, bowel bacteria interacting with fibre produce butyrate, supporting bowel cell health and decreasing the risk of tumour growth.
- Fibre Contributes to Blood Sugar & Cholesterol Regulation
The inclusion of fibre with sugars slows down the absorption process, preventing harmful blood sugar spikes. Fibre itself, unlike other carbohydrates, can’t be absorbed by the body, so it also doesn’t contribute to raising glucose or blood sugar. This is particularly beneficial for diabetics and children prone to sugar crashes. Additionally, soluble fibre aids in lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, promoting heart health.
Soluble fibre (found in oats, avocado, broccoli, chia seeds, and beans) transforms into a gel-like substance in your intestines, slowing digestion and trapping cholesterol, preventing its reabsorption into the bloodstream. The entrapped cholesterol is expelled in stool. Moreover, the fermentation of soluble fibre by intestinal bacteria not only fosters a healthy gut, promoting cholesterol elimination but also generates short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These SCFAs, upon absorption, reduce cholesterol synthesis in the liver, contributing to lower blood cholesterol levels.
- Fibre Supports Gastrointestinal Health Treatments
Fibre plays a pivotal role in supporting haemorrhoids treatment and maintaining overall gastrointestinal health. Adequate fibre intake softens stools, easing bowel movements and reducing strain on haemorrhoids. Moreover, fibre promotes regularity, preventing constipation—a common aggravator of haemorrhoids. Embracing a high-fibre diet helps to prevent various gastrointestinal issues and their symptoms, promoting digestive wellness and lessening the risk of conditions like diverticulosis and IBS.
- Fibre Can Help You Maintain a Healthy Weight & Live Longer
Extensive research has shown that high-fibre foods, such as vegetables, salads, and beans, have a satisfying effect, making you feel fuller for longer and reducing the likelihood of overeating and helping to support healthy weight loss and weight management. This, combined with other health benefits, contributes to maintaining a healthy weight and, ultimately, a longer life.
How to Add Fibre to Your Diet – Easily!
While natural, high-nutrient, fibrous foods are the ideal source of fibre, we understand that incorporating them into your diet might seem challenging. Here are practical and easy-to-follow recommendations from a leading female surgeon and colorectal surgeon in Melbourne:
- Swap Meat for Beans: Consider replacing meat with beans at least once a week. Beans offer similar protein content but with a significant fibre boost.
- Raw or Undercooked Vegetables: Preserve the fibre content in vegetables by occasionally choosing raw or undercooked options. Cooking can break down the fibres that contribute to bowel health.
- Increase Salad Consumption: Introduce an extra salad into your weekly routine. Leafy greens not only provide fibre but also offer essential nutrients like iron and calcium.
- Revamp Your Snacking Habits: Substitute processed snacks with whole, raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts or seeds. These choices are not only rich in fibre but also packed with vitamins and minerals.
- Incorporate High-Fibre Foods into Everyday Eating: Prioritise the consumption of fibre-rich foods such as peas, raspberries, pears, broccoli, whole wheat pasta, barley, lentils, and more.
- Add Fibre to Smoothies: Smoothies are a great way to pack in lots of great nutrients and vitamins – and they’re also great for adding more fibre (and water) to your diet! Add high fibre fruits like pears, blueberries and raspberries or add chia seeds, oats, digestive bran, or hemp protein powder and enjoy.
By making these simple changes, you can significantly increase your daily fibre intake, promoting a healthier digestive system and overall well-being.
As a leading female surgeon and colorectal surgeon in Melbourne would know, prioritising fibre in your diet is a small yet impactful step towards a healthier and more vibrant life. From supporting healthy body weight and effective haemorrhoids treatment to helping prevent heart disease and colorectal cancer, it’s an easy way to supercharge your health. So, let fibre fuel your journey to well-being!