Why You Should Take Fibre Supplements
Posted by Bulk Nutrients
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Firstly, fibre comes in two varieties: soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fibre is not absorbed in our digestive tracts, but its role is vital in ensuring bowel movements to avoid constipation. Soluble fibre is metabolised by bacteria that sits in the large intestine. In short, it's healthy and good for us!
Further to this, evidence suggests that by getting enough dietary fibre we're protecting our colons, breasts and ovaries too!
Previous fibre recommendations have been to consume 14 grams of fibre per 1000 calories eaten. So if you're eating 2000 calories per day you'd consume 28 grams of fibre per day.
But recent reviews state that the ideal fibre intake should be more like 50 g/d to maximise health.
So now we know we need to eat 50 grams of fibre a day, but where do we get it from?
Fibre is found in foods like cereals, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Take a look at the table below adapted from this study and this research to see how your favourite foods stack up:
Source | Total | Insoluble | Soluble |
---|---|---|---|
Grains | |||
Barley | 17.3 | - | - |
Corn | 13.4 | - | - |
Oats | 10.3 | 6.5 | 3.8 |
Rice (dry) | 1.3 | 1 | 0.3 |
Rice (cooked) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0 |
Wheat (whole grain) | 12.6 | 10.2 | 2.3 |
Wheat germ | 14 | 12.9 | 1.1 |
Legumes & pulses | |||
Green beans | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.5 |
Soy | 15 | - | - |
Peas, green frozen | 3.5 | 3.2 | 0.3 |
Kidney beans, canned | 6.3 | 4.7 | 1.6 |
Lentils, raw | 11.4 | 10.3 | 1.1 |
Lima beans, canned | 4.2 | 3.8 | 0.4 |
White beans, raw | 17.7 | 13.4 | 4.3 |
Vegetables | |||
Potato, no skin | 1.3 | 1 | 0.3 |
Bitter gourd | 16.6 | 13.5 | 3.1 |
Beetroot | 7.8 | 5.4 | 2.4 |
Fenugreek leaves | 4.9 | 4.2 | 0.7 |
Ladyfinger | 4.3 | 3 | 1.3 |
Spinach, raw | 2.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 |
Turnips | 2 | 1.5 | 0.5 |
Tomato, raw | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
Green onions, raw | 2.2 | 2.2 | 0 |
Eggplant | 6.6 | 5.3 | 1.3 |
Cucumbers, peeled | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
Cauliflower, raw | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.7 |
Celery, raw | 1.5 | 1 | 0.5 |
Carrot, raw | 2.5 | 2.3 | 0.2 |
Broccoli, raw | 3.29 | 3 | 0.29 |
Fruits | |||
Apple, unpeeled | 2 | 1.8 | 0.2 |
Kiwi | 3.39 | 2.61 | 0.8 |
Mango | 1.8 | 1.06 | 0.74 |
Pineapple | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.1 |
Pomegranate | 0.6 | 0.49 | 0.11 |
Watermelon | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
Grapes | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
Oranges | 1.8 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
Plums | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
Strawberry | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
Bananas | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.5 |
Peach | 1.9 | 1 | 0.9 |
Pear | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Nuts and seeds | |||
Almonds | 11.2 | 10.1 | 1.1 |
Coconut, raw | 9 | 8.5 | 0.5 |
Peanut, dry roasted | 8 | 7.5 | 0.5 |
Cashew, oil roasted | 6 | - | - |
Sesame seed | 7.79 | 5.89 | 1.9 |
Flaxseed | 22.33 | 10.15 | 12.1 |
Further to this table; one of the best sources of fibre you can get is in Chia seeds, which boast a tremendous 30-34 grams of fibre per 100 grams!
By going off the information above, you can reach your 50 grams a day variety hypothetically with the below example:
Breakfast:Â 1 cup of spinach = 4 grams of fibre, 6 egg whites, a tablespoon of olive oil.
Lunch: Chicken salad (200 grams of Garden salad) = 3.6 grams of fibre.
3pm snack: 1 unpeeled apple = 2 grams of fibre. Also, 100 grams of chia seeds = 30 grams of fibre.
Dinner: 200 grams of fish (salmon, barramundi, whatever you prefer). Add 100 grams of broccoli = 3 grams of fibre.
Before bed: Bulk Nutrients Tri Fibre supplement = 5.8 grams
Total = 48.4 grams of fibre.
You can see that comes very close to 50 grams of dietary fibre a day! And you can consume your 50 grams of dietary fibre a day however you want; having an extra half scoop of your Bulk Nutrients fibre supplement, or by simply eating another 60 grams of broccoli or another apple. The freedom is yours.
The other benefit of fibre is how it assists in weight loss, specifically:
Fibre won't only help us maintain a healthy waistline but also improve our general health and well-being. Having a solid dietary strategy for 50 grams of dietary fibre daily, with or without a fibre supplement for ease of adherence, is critical for all of us for our health and fitness goals!
Posted by Bulk Nutrients
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Posted by Dayne Hudson
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Posted by Dayne Hudson
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
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