Fibre, and how to get enough
(the down low)
What is fibre?
Fibre is the indigestible material (the bit we can’t break down and asbsorb) of plant foods - including vegetables, legumes, fruits, grains, nuts and seeds. There are lots of different fibre types found in plant foods, and they have wide ranging health benefits for our gut health and our chronic disease risk.
Basically, fibre is the stuff that keeps our bowels moving and looks after our precious gut microbiome. Getting enough is one of the cornerstones of good health.
How much fibre do we need?
Depending who you are, daily fibre recommendations for Australian adults range anywhere from 25g to 38g.
Why? The Australian NHMRC (National Health and Medical Recommendations Council) has given us two different fibre intake targets:
1. There’s the ‘adequate intake’ level, which essentially translates to the amount of fibre that keeps things moving, and has us pooping comfortably and regularly.
2. There’s also a ‘suggested target’, which is higher, and equates to the daily fibre intake associated with reduced overall chronic health disease risk (we’re talking diabetes, heart disease, cancer and even dementia here).
And this is what the recommendations look like:
The adequate daily intake (AI) is set at 25g for women, and 28g for men
The suggested daily target (ST) is higher: 28g for women and 38g for men.
So how much fibre are Australians actually eating?
I’m glad you asked!
In 2018, a study looking into just that question. Using the 2011-2012 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, they profiled fibre intake among over 12,000 Australian children and adults.
The estimated mean daily fibre intake was 25g for men and 21g for women. Only 28% of adults met the adequate intake, and less than 20% met the suggested target to reduce chronic disease risk.
(TLDR = most Australians are not eating enough fibre).
Which Australians are least likely to be eating enough fibre?
According to this data, demographics most at risk of not meeting fibre needs were:
Teenagers and younger adults (20-30yrs)
Men
Those of lower socio-economic status
Those with lower daily energy intakes (people who don’t eat as much)
What the fork does a gram of fibre look like though?
Talking about grams of fibre, ‘adequate’ and ‘suggested targets’ isn’t really helpful, if you don’t know what a gram of fibre looks like, in food terms. The image below might help a bit – it shows the fibre content of various plant foods, per average serve.
Next up, let’s look at some practical tips
When you’re looking to increase your fibre intake, some simple swaps can make a BIG difference. Here’s what the difference between 2g of fibre and 21g of fibre looks like, using food swaps.
So there you have it.
Just like you already knew, apples have more fibre than apple juice. Nuts are a higher fibre snack than potato chips. And rolled oats are richer in fibre than Rice Bubbles. Choosing the less processed, higher fibre version of foods generally results in a win, if you’re chasing your daily fibre targets.
A word to the wise:
If you’re not used to eating a lot of fibre, don’t go out too hard in trying to meet these guidelines all of a sudden! Our guts are creatures of habit, and doing anything too different, too suddenly…. Often doesn’t go down to well.
You’ll need to build up your fibre intake gradually, and make sure you’re having plenty of water or other hydrating fluids, to help move all that good stuff through your gut.
If you found this fibre advice helpful, feel free to share. And remember, if you want individualised dietary advice, consult an Accredited Practising Dietitian, not the internet!
(Here’s the study I referenced):
Title: Dietary Fibre Intake in Australia. Paper I: Associations with Demographic, Socio-Economic, and Anthropometric Factors. Published in: Nutrients. 2018 (May). Authors: Flavia Fayet-Moore, Tim Cassettari, [...], and Peter Petocz