What is Fibre?

What is fibre?

We’ve probably all heard of fibre. We might even know that we need to eat it to keep our gut healthy. But what exactly is it?

Fibre comes from plant-based foods such as fruit, vegetables and grains, so straight off you can see it’s going to be joy for your insides. Fibre, unlike other carbohydrates, is not digested in the small intestine. Rather, it passes through the digestive system reaching the large intestine with some types becoming ‘food’ for the bacteria living there.

If you’re looking for a concentrated source of fibre then look no further than the bran in grains like wheat. Wheat bran is one of the most effective fibres for helping with regularity and has the most scientific evidence.

A new term for many people may be ‘Prebiotic fibre’.

Remember how some fibre becomes ‘food’ for some bacteria living in the large intestine? Prebiotic fibre specifically targets important gut bacteria. So, when you eat well, your bacteria eats well, too!

Some food, such as wholegrains, beans, onions, chicory root, garlic and artichokes, contains small amounts of prebiotics. But if you want to super-size your intake, go for food with added prebiotics.