Fibre
It is not a surprise that many people have issues with constipation, bloating, difficulty passing stools and not feeling like you have completely emptied yourself. After some time struggling on the toilet, we often turn to quick fixes to ease these problems. So you try those herbal teas, and experiment with every type of laxative you can get your hands on at your local drug store (from syrups, oils, powders and pills). I bet you also took a glance at those hemorrhoid creams as you regrettably reflected on how much you were straining on the toilet.
Then once you feel the medication’s effect, you finally get on the toilet and release the holy grail of all loads/poops! But unfortunately after a few days those problems return and you enter into a cycle of struggling with having a bowel movement and relying on laxatives as your only remedy.
What if I told you that you can relieve most of your constipation and that you no longer have to struggle with difficult bowel movements if you incorporate a specific nutrient into your diet. That nutrient is FIBRE!
When you prioritize fibre in your diet it will help to address constipation and will provide you with an array of health benefits. Let's dive through what exactly is fibre, where it is found, and what additional benefits we get from this nutrient apart from helping us have a better experience on the toilet. So that the next time you go shopping, you can proudly skip over those laxatives (and hemorrhoid) products.
What is Fibre?
Fibre can be simply defined as non-digestible carbohydrates that pass through the body undigested. This means that humans do not have digestive enzymes to break down and absorb fibre, fibre passes through the small intestines and large intestines undigested - think of the time when you last ate corn, it likely passed through your digestive tract unchanged.
Why is Fibre Important?
Eating a high fibre diet has many beneficial properties:
It relieves constipation and supports regular bowel movements
Supports gut health
Promotes weight loss and weight maintenance
Regulates blood sugar levels
Has anti-inflammatory properties
Reduces blood cholesterol levels
Decreases risk of heart disease
Did you know that fibre is only found in plant-based foods?
Plant-based foods include:
Fruits
Vegetables
Whole grains
Legumes and beans
Nuts and Seeds
Are you getting enough fibre?
You are probably not getting enough fibre. Most Canadians are only getting about half of the daily recommended fibre intake.
Types of Fibre
Fibre comes in two forms - soluble and insoluble
Each type of fibre has a different effect on the digestive tract but both are essential in supporting overall health, promoting regularity in bowel movement and reducing risk of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and some cancers.
Soluble Fibres
This type of fibre dissolves in water in the stomach and intestines to form a gel in the digestive tract.
This gel-like substance plays an important role in promoting regular bowel movements, reducing hunger/appetite, lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Soluble fibres increase fullness and reduce appetite/hunger by slowing gastric emptying - meaning that it slows the rate at which food from the stomach moves out to enter the small intestines.
Soluble fibres slow the intestinal absorption of glucose and LDL cholesterol - this effect can lower blood cholesterol levels and regulate blood sugar levels.
Insoluble Fibres
Insoluble fibres do not dissolve in water, rather it draws water into the colon to add bulk to the stool and make the stool softer so that it can pass easily without straining.
Insoluble fibres allow the passage of stool through the large intestines more efficiently which helps to promote regular bowel movements, relieve constipation and prevent haemorrhoids.
There are many foods that contain a combination of soluble and insoluble fibres
The composition of the two types of fibre will vary from food to food. For example, kidney beans contain more insoluble fibre, whereas the insoluble/soluble fibre ratio in flaxseeds and peaches are similar. It is important to stress that there are benefits to eating various sources of fibre rich foods including vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains as it will allow you to get additional nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help support overall health.
Fibre Content of Various Foods
It is important to note that the fibre content in food varies. The chart below highlights the amount of fibre in each food; you can combine different food elements to build your meal so that you can achieve your fibre goal.
Example 1: Breakfast
½ cup oatmeal with milk and 1 cup of strawberries (~ 7 grams fibre)
Example 2: Snack
¼ cup of almonds with 2 clementines (~6.6 grams fibre)
Example 3: Lunch
Chicken sandwich with spinach and roasted carrots on the side (~6.6 grams of fibre)
Total Fibre Intake: ~20.2
[Depending on your fibre goal you are already on your way to achieving your daily fibre intake]
Benefits of Fibre
Fibre can promote weight loss by increasing satiety
A high fibre diet can keep you full longer and can reduce the frequency of eating food - this can be helpful for those who tend to snack frequently.
Fibre can support “gut health” - it acts as food for the bacteria in your large intestines
When you eat foods that contain fibre, it enters the stomach then passes through the small intestines - remember fibre cannot be broken down or absorbed. When fibre enters the large intestines, it may be fermented by the gut microbiome (also known as gut bacteria). The by-products of the fermentation process act as food for the gut microbiome. However, the degree of fermentation in the large intestines varies depending on the type of fibre, meaning that there are easily fermentable fibres and less fermentable fibres. For example, fibre from corn is less fermentable whereas fibre from beans is more fermentable.
Easily fermentable fibres are also known as “prebiotic fibres” - which is a food source for the bacteria in your gut to keep the good bacteria healthy and stimulate growth so that it can continue to carry out activities that support digestion. Fibre foods that have a prebiotic effect include wheat, oats, onions, garlic, peas, lentils, chickpeas and nuts.
Increasing fibre intake has protective properties against cardiovascular disease and inflammation
A high fibre diet can reduce risk factors associated with cardiovascular risk onset such as lowering blood pressure and lowering total cholesterol levels including LDL and triglycerides. Increasing fibre intake can reduce C-reactive protein levels (high C-reactive protein levels is an indicator of inflammation). As a side note, chronically low fibre intake can negatively affect the gut microbiome and is associated with inflammation in the colon as well as systemic inflammation.
Let’s Talk about POOP
Take a look at your poop using the Bristol Stool Chart and ask yourself where does it fall on the bristol stool chart? The ideal poop is considered a type 3 and 4 stool, this is because it is well-formed, likely easy to pass with minimal straining and is a sign that you are likely getting enough fibre!
Referencing the bristol stool chart can help you track your poop habits. Taking note of the quality and frequency of your bowel movements is important information for you to be aware of your digestive health. Also, when you collect this information you can share it with your healthcare provider, especially if you have any concerns around the frequency and quality of your stool.
Tips on How to Increase Fibre Intake
If you are looking at ways to increase your daily fibre intake, you can start by incorporating a few of my tips into your diet and hopefully you see positive changes to your digestive health and overall wellness.
Start slow!
Try to incorporate 1 fruit or vegetable with each meal
When increasing fibre intake make sure you are drinking enough water/day to help support a good bowel movement (total amount of all liquid sources = 1.5-2L/day)
Swap out white bread and wraps for whole wheat and look for the word “whole grain” OR “whole wheat” on food packaging for bread, pasta, crackers and cereals
Try brown rice and experiment with different types of whole grains such as quinoa, barley, and rye.
Incorporate oatmeal as a breakfast option
Try to keep the skin of fruits and vegetables when possible
Prepare vegetables in a salad, roasted or stir-fry
Add nuts and seeds into your meals OR eat it as a snack
Focus on eating fruits over drinking fruit juices
Make a smoothie (check out my high fibre recipe)
Sources:
Cleveland Clinic. (2019). The small intestine [Image]. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15850-small-bowel-obstruction
Gordon B. (2020). [Fibre food photograph]. Eat Right. https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/digestive-health/nutrition-tips-for-relieving-constipation
Morales-Brown, L. (2021). [Bristol stool chart image]. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/bristol-stool-scale#stool-types
