Eating More Of This Could Reduce Your Risk Of Disease By Up To 30 Percent

Keep an open mind… - by Lucy Bode

If the word ‘fibre’ immediately conjures up images of Metamuci, Sultana Bran and Digestive biscuits, you need to get with the program. Sure, it’s definitely the least sexy nutrient out there, but it’s also an extremely important part of the diet – and not just when you need to get things moving, so to speak.

According to a new study published in the journal Lancet, a high-fibre diet may actually reduce a person’s risk of developing deadly diseases (i.e. coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and colon cancer) by 15 to 30 per cent. In addition, researchers found that those who regularly consumed a lot the stuff had lower body weight, blood pressure and cholesterol in comparison to those with a far lower intake.

So how much fibre, should we be consuming exactly?

The study suggests an intake of between 25-29 grams daily for the maximum health benefits. That said, if you’re only just beginning to incorporate more fibre into the diet, you’ll want to ease into it – too much too quickly can often cause uncomfortable stomach issues such as gas and bloating.

Here are a few fibre friendly foods to get you started:

Legumes (beans, lentils and peas)
Fruit (pears, strawberries, apples, raspberries, bananas)
Artichoke
Broccoli
Beetroot
Carrot
Brussel sprouts
Avocados
Chia seeds
Quinoa
Oats
Popcorn
Nuts (almonds and cashews)
Sweet potatoes
Kale
Dark chocolate

Lucy Bode

Lucy is WH’s Digital Editor, Features Writer, social media guru and resident woo. A long black lover and foodie at heart, she considers peanut butter an hourly staple and believes chardonnay is the superior drop. When she's not at the beach, barre or yoga studio you'll find her coming up with new and improved ways to kill her unkillable houseplants