Fibre

What is fibre?

Dietary fibres are the indigestible part of plant foods that play a role in helping to maintain digestive health2. There are three main types of fibre:

  • Insoluble fibre helps to increase bulk, soften stools and shorten transit time through the intestinal tract. Sources of insoluble fibre include whole wheat, wheat and corn bran, linseed lignans and vegetables such as celery, green beans and potato skins.
  • Soluble fibre undergoes metabolic processing via fermentation, yielding end-products with broad, significant health effects including helping to maintain heart health and manage blood glucose levels. Sources of soluble fibre include beta-glucan from oats and barley.
  • Resistant starch resists digestion in the small intestine and is fermented by bacteria to produce short chain fatty acids which helps to maintain digestive wellbeing. Resistant starch can be found in small amounts in lentils, baked beans and some cereals.

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How does fibre contribute to our health and wellbeing?

  • Insoluble fibre is the predominant type of fibre in bread, which plays an important role in keeping you regular and helps to eliminate toxins which help to maintain a healthy digestive system.
  • Soluble fibre slows down digestion allowing for a more gradual release of glucose from foods into the blood stream. Soluble fibre helps to create a feeling of fullness which helps delay hunger.
  • When dietary fibre reaches the colon, it can be fermented by the beneficial bacteria located in the colon. These bacteria produce enzymes and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), mainly acetate, propionate and butyrate all of which are beneficial in helping to maintain a healthy digestive system.
  • Fibre contains fewer kilojoules per gram than protein, fat or carbohydrate and is therefore recommended for maintaining a healthy weight3. For adults, an adequate intake for fibre is 25 to 30 grams a day4. This can be achieved by including high fibre foods, such as wholegrain breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables into your daily eating pattern.

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How can you increase your fibre intake?

To help reach your daily intake of fibre:

  • Choose high fibre, wholegrain breads such as Bürgen® Rye Bread and cereals including brown rice and wholemeal pasta
  • Choose food products which contain at least 3g of fibre per serve
  • Snack on fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds
  • Add nuts and seeds to salads and stir-frys
  • Add legumes to your daily eating plan eg, baked beans, chickpeas and kidney beans

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Want to know more?

1 FSANZ. Food Standards Code – Standard 1.2.8 (Division 2, Clause 7)
2 Rose DJ et al 2007. Influence of Dietary Fiber on Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colon Cancer: Importance of Fermentation Pattern. Nutrition Reviews 65 (2):51-62
3 National Health and Medical Research Council 2003. Dietary guidelines for Australian adults. Commonwealth of Australia.
4 NHMRC and NZMoH 2006. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand including recommended dietary intakes. NHMRC, Canberra



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