Fibre And Fibre Supplements

Fibre (roughage) is the part of plant food that is not digested. It stays in your gut and is passed in the stools (faeces). Fibre adds bulk to the stools. This helps your bowels to work well, and helps to prevent some bowel and anal conditions.



Why is fibre important?

Stools (faeces or motions) are usually soft and easy to pass if you eat enough fibre, and drink enough fluid. We should aim to eat 30-35 grams of fibre per day. (However, the average person in the UK eats only about 20 grams of fibre each day.) A diet with plenty of fibre will help to:
prevent constipation.
prevent diverticulosis (a common bowel condition).
prevent haemorrhoids (piles) and anal fissure (a painful condition of the anus).
reduce weight. Fibre is filling but not fattening as it has no calories and is not digested.
reduce the risk of developing bowel cancer.

High fibre foods include the following
Wholemeal or whole-wheat bread and biscuits.
Wholemeal flour used for baking and cooking.
Fruit and vegetables. Aim to eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables each day. One portion is: one large fruit such as an apple, pear, banana, orange, or a large slice of melon or pineapple, OR; two smaller fruits such as plums, satsumas, etc, OR; one cup of small fruits such as grapes, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, etc, OR; two large tablespoons of fruit salad, stewed or canned fruit, OR; one tablespoon of dried fruit, OR; one glass of fresh fruit juice (150ml), OR; a normal portion of any vegetable (about two tablespoons), OR; one dessert bowl of salad.
Whole-grain breakfast cereals such as All Bran, Bran Flakes, Weetabix, Shredded Wheat, muesli, etc. A simple thing like changing your regular breakfast cereal can make a big difference to the amount of fibre you eat each day.
Brown rice, and wholemeal spaghetti and other wholemeal pasta.

Fibre supplements (sometimes called bulk-forming laxatives)

You may need to take extra fibre supplements if you have constipation or other bowel problems. Several are available. You can buy them at pharmacies or health food shops.
Unprocessed bran is a cheap fibre supplement. If you take bran, it is best to build up the amount gradually. Start with two teaspoons a day, and double the amount every five days until you reach about about 1-3 tablespoons per day. You can sprinkle bran on breakfast cereals, or mix it with fruit juices, milk, stews, soups, crumbles, pastries, scones, etc.
Other fibre supplements such as ispaghula husk, sterculia or methylcellulose are alternatives if you find bran unpalatable. Ispaghula husk is also gluten-free.


Note: have lots to drink when you eat a high fibre diet or fibre supplements. Drink at least two litres (about 8-10 cups) per day. You may find that if you eat more fibre or fibre supplements, you may have some bloating and wind at first. This is often temporary. As your gut becomes used to extra fibre or fibre supplements, the bloating or wind tends to settle over a few weeks.