Experts recommend 30 to 35 grams of dietary fibre per day for a variety of health benefits. The average person gets only about 10 grams. Here’s a list of health benefits to encourage you to increase your daily fibre intake!
1. Aids Digestion
Adequate daily fibre intake is essential to the normal functioning of our digestive system. Therefore increasing fibre intake is a simple solution for maintenance of regularity and the improvement of wellbeing.
2. Lowers cholesterol
Fibre can be labelled in different ways. One distinction is between soluble and insoluble fibre. Both have health benefits.
- Soluble fibre is in foods like oatmeal and oat bran, nuts, apples, strawberries, beans, and barley. Soluble fibre has an important role to play when it comes to lowering blood cholesterol levels as it leads to less artery build-up by binding to cholesterol and inhibiting cholesterol production.
- Insoluble fibre is in whole grains, wheat cereals, and vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, and celery, and plays a key role in our digestive health and controlling weight.
3. Reduces risk of heart disease
As a result of fibre’s ability to lower cholesterol levels, it can also reduce the likelihood of heart disease. When blood cholesterol levels are high, fatty streaks and plaques are deposited along the walls of arteries. This can make them dangerously narrow and lead to an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
4. Controls blood sugar levels
Fibre, particularly soluble fibre, can slow the absorption of sugar, which for people with diabetes can help improve blood sugar levels. Soluble fibre also helps control blood glucose by slowing carbohydrate digestion, which can help manage weight.
5. Decreases likelihood of gallstones and kidney stones
Since fibre can help regulate blood sugar, it decreases the chance of insulin spikes that can lead to the formation of gallstones and kidney stones.
6. Lowers stroke risk
Researchers have found that how much fibre you eat can affect risk of stroke, stroke severity and the chances of recovery. Recent studies have found that a simple seven gram increase in daily dietary fibre — equivalent to one serving of whole wheat pasta plus two servings of fruits or vegetables — was associated with a seven percent decrease in first-time stroke risk.
7. Maintains bowel health
Fibre plays a role in keeping the bowel healthy by aiding in the elimination of waste efficiently and regularly. Insoluble Fibre reduces constipation and the risk of certain intestinal diseases and supports growth of “good-guy” bacteria in the colon.
8. Aids weight maintenance
Eating high fibre foods makes us feel full earlier which in turn can help reduce calorie intake. Also, because fibre-rich foods require more chewing time you’re also less likely to over-eat them. If you’re eating more fibre, you’re eating less of the stuff that causes weight gain — and keeping a healthy weight is crucial in keeping your heart healthy.
Are you struggling to get all your fibre in during the day? FibRestore from Reliv provides 10 grams of soluble and insoluble fibre per scoop. Reliv FibRestore makes daily elimination easier and more effective!
Sources
http://www.webmd.com/diet/fiber-heart?page=1
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/fibre_in_food
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/high-fiber-foods.htm