Fibre101

Fibre is a carbohydrate which is responsible for regulating digestion as well as blood sugar levels and hunger. The fibre will help with regular bowel movements. There are 2 types of fibre, soluble and insoluble.

Soluble fibre pulls water. It keeps food in stomach longer as the digestion slowed down. For the same reason it helps to regulate the blood sugar levels, for example apple will be broken down slower (as it has fibre (2.4g per 100g)) than apple juice which is processed and has decreased amount of fibre therefore the blood sugar levels will be spiked much faster. Current guidelines suggest that there has to be at least 3g of fibre per 100g of fibre source food (oats, pasta, vegetables) therefore the RDA is 1.5 grams per 100kcal. For men the total recommended calorie intake is 2500kcal and for women it is 2000kcal therefore fibre intake for men should be 37.5g and for women 30g.

Insoluble fibre helps with the gut health as it helps with the bowel movement. Most whole grains and vegetables have it. Fibre is important as it helps to reduce the blood pressure level mainly with people who have mild hypertension. It helps to regulate weight as a result of increased satiation and fullness feeling – meaning the person will be more likely to consume less amount of calories. Fibre is proven to help to protect against colon cancer which is in the top 8 causes of death in the UK and in the top 3 in the USA. This displays a link between poor nutrition and increase in the cause of the death in these countries. Also fibre is referred to as negative calories as the fibre is not digestible. Satiation means that the stomach will fill up faster this is observable when on athlete is on a diet and his/her diet consists of vegetables which are high in fibre. Fullness feeling means that there will be more time between meals as the athlete won’t feel as hungry. Hunger occurs when blood sugar levels decrease and could lead to energy loss.

To sum up,

Soluble fibre:

• Slows down digestion
• Regulates blood sugar

Insoluble fibre:

• Healthy gut
• Regular, healthy bowel movement
• Increased satiation, fullness
• Decreased risk of colon cancer