A wellness trend popularised by social media, fibremaxxing is all about upping your daily fibre intake in your diet, and although we should exercise a degree of caution when it comes to the latest craze, there are certainly a fair few benefits to including adequate amounts of fibre in your diet.
For starters, and beyond the obvious, fibre helps control our appetite and as a result our weight; it supports the beneficial gut bugs that live and work in our intestines; fibre helps stabilise blood sugar levels; and manage our cholesterol.
A 2022 meta-analysis, reported by BMC Medicine, illustrated that a higher fibre intake is associated with a reduced risk of developing heart disease and that by increasing your fibre intake you may help manage high blood pressure – useful for those one in three UK adults diagnosed with this condition.
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What is fibre?
Fibre is the term used for a group of carbohydrates found in plant foods including fruit, vegetables and grains. Unlike other carbs, fibre isn't digested by the body; instead it passes relatively intact through the digestive system, providing a wealth of benefits along the way.
There are two main types of fibre: soluble, which dissolves with water and forms a gel, and insoluble, which includes the roughage that most of us are familiar with. Although experts believe this is an over simplification of how fibre works it does remain the easiest way to understand fibre and its diverse properties. That said, the most important message has to be that a well-balanced diet should include a wide variety of fibre-rich foods.
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How much fibre should I eat?
Public health guidelines recommend a fibre intake for an average adult of 30g a day (with 15–25g for children depending on their age), however, the most recent national diet and nutrition survey suggests only 4% of us are achieving this target, with most managing just 16g per day. With such appalling statistics, you’d be forgiven for thinking it must be tricky to achieve 30g, but the good news is that’s not the case.
Instead, our limited success is down to our preference for highly processed, refined grains – think white bread, rice and pasta - coupled with the trending interest in low-carb eating, gluten-free products as well as the fashionable appeal for prioritising protein over less glamorous wholegrains.
How do I increase the fibre in my diet?
First off, if you increase fibre levels too quickly, you’re at risk of overwhelming your digestive system. As a result, it’s likely you’ll experience unpleasant side effects such as bloating, abdominal cramps, excess wind, constipation or diarrhoea.
As well as increasing fibre you need to be prepared to drink extra fluids to help the fibre do its job properly, and take things slowly, making changes over a period of weeks rather than days – this will allow time for your body to adjust. As you gradually increase your fibre intake, your gut and the beneficial bacteria that live there will adapt, and uncomfortable side effects are less likely to occur, or if they do, they should subside relatively quickly.
Remember, as with most things in life, balance is key, too much fibre can adversely impact your appetite which may mean you miss out on important nutrients such as protein and fat and in extreme cases, a very high-fibre diet may lead to bowel blockages.
Moreover, if you’ve been diagnosed with a condition such as diverticulitis, irritable bowel or Crohn’s disease, a high fibre diet can aggravate your symptoms, so always seek advice from your GP or registered dietician before making changes to your diet. Similarly, if you’re on prescribed medication, adding significant amounts of fibre may influence how well your body absorbs your medication.
Which fibre-rich foods should I include?
Smashing the 30g target may take a little planning, but it is achievable. Researchers at the British Nutrition Foundation suggest you can reach this target, and still stay within recommended guidelines for sugar and fat by making wholegrains your go-to carbs – brown rice, wholewheat pasta, wholemeal bread – aiming for five to eight servings of fruit and vegetables a day and opting for fibre-rich snacks, such as unsalted popcorn, nuts and seeds. Other valuable fibre contributors include potatoes with their skins intact, peas, beans and lentils, as well as quinoa and oats. Kerry Torrens
Kerry Torrens is a registered nutritionist and food writer with over 20 years of experience; away from her desk she enjoys cooking, growing her own and walking her dogs in her native West Country.
