Let’s start with a fun fact: Countries with high-fibre diets have much lower levels of coronary heart disease, bowel cancer and diabetes than, for example, the UK or the USA. On the other hand, if your diet is too LOW in fibre, you’re at risk for haemorrhoids, obesity, irritable bowel syndrome, and a whole host of other inconveniences including heart disease and cancer. So as you can see, a truly balanced diet must include a good amount of fibre – which you can find in legumes, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. See why people keep calling those foods healthy?
Interestingly, although fibre consists of the indigestible parts of plants, and passes almost unchanged through your body, it is what keeps your digestive system running smoothly. Kind of how oil keeps a car running smoothly, although it has nothing to do with fuel. Enough blah blah. You’re busy people. So we’ve put together the top reasons why you should embrace a high-fibre diet.
Better skin
Certain types of fibre like psyllium husk attach themselves to yeast and fungus that would normally be excreted through the skin, and pull them through your system instead. This helps avoid breakouts and skin rashes. Fibre on colon walls also prevents pathogens from being reabsorbed by your liver, which would again create certain skin conditions. So says the author of Fat Flush for Life, nutrition expert Ann Louise Gittleman.
Cholesterol
Soluble fibre, such as in flax seeds, oats and certain legumes, lowers ‘bad’ cholesterol levels by binding and excreting the bile acids they form.
Blood sugar
A high fibre diet slows the absorption of glucose from the small intestine, reducing the likelihood of an insulin surge (which happens when your body wants to stabilise blood sugar levels).
Cancer
Fibre helps food move faster through your body, getting carcinogens out in record time. This helps reduce chances of colorectal cancer. The effect of high-fibre diets on breast, ovarian and uterine cancer is currently being studied.
Healthy weight
High-fibre diets protect you from weight gain in multiple ways. Firstly, they require more chewing time, which lets your body register when you’re no longer hungry – as opposed to when you gobble. Secondly, they are less energy dense, providing fewer calories than the same volume of another food. Lastly, they make you feel full sooner and for far longer.
Digestive health
Fibre adds bulk to faeces, allowing it to pass through your system much more easily. This helps you avoid haemorrhoids, constipation and diverticular disease.
Heart health
The Journal of the American College of Cardiology Foundation published a study that followed 39,876 women for six years and found that those who ingested a higher amount of fibre (26.3 grams a day) were at lower risk for heart disease or heart attacks that others who consumed less fibre. Guess what else is really, really high in fibre and really, really low in calories and fat? Yes, our
Slim product range. Made from a mix of konjac and Juroat, they keep you gently full for hours and provide a large amount of fibre – giving you all the benefits we’ve listed above!
