Dietary fibre is a non-digestible complex carbohydrate. There are many different types of fibre found in varying sources.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES?
Fructans are found mainly in grains such as barley and Allium vegetables (onions, leeks etc), Pectins are found in citrus peels and other fruits such as apples.
WHY DO WE NEED FIBRE?
Overarching this, they can be categorised into two forms, soluble (do dissolve in water) and insoluble (don’t dissolve in water), and this changes their role within our bodies. Soluble fibres can aid in lowering blood cholesterol by binding it for elimination, whilst insoluble help to bulk out stool and keep us regular! A healthy fibre intake can help to reduce your cardiovascular risk (by reducing cholesterol), improve GI health, help control body fat by contributing to satiety (feeling full) and therefore the health benefits of this, and with all these in combo – reduce your blood pressure too.
In general, the standard Western diet will not be providing the recommended amount of fibre to see these benefits. The recommended amount for women varies from 21-35g, and men 30-45g.
WHERE CAN IT BE FOUND?
As mentioned, fibre can be found in a vast number of foods, here are a few:- Fruits – Apples and pears with their skins, bananas, oranges, raspberries, prunes, strawberries.
- Vegetables – Cooked broccoli, carrots, cooked spinach, potato with the skin, asparagus.
- Grains (cooked) – Barley, brown rice, rolled oats, whole-wheat bread.
- Beans and legumes (cooked) – Black beans, lentils, lima beans, pinto beans, green peas, psyllium seeds (you can supplement with psyllium husk).
In general, aiming to have a good amount of greens and beans in your diet should help you hit your target. It’s important to make sure you stay hydrated (as it always is!) to see the benefits as well.
Too much of anything isn’t great of course, and too much fibre can cause a reduction in absorption of important nutrients and calories, as well as GI discomfort, so don’t go overboard! 
