Fibre is an essential part of a healthy diet, known for its role in promoting digestive health, regulating blood sugar, supporting weight management and maintaining overall well-being. While many try to get fibre through whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes, some still fall short of the recommended daily intake.
The daily fibre requirement varies depending on factors like age, sex, and activity level, but most adults should aim for around 25–35 grams per day. Despite the best efforts, many people do not meet this target consistently. While whole foods should always be your primary source of fibre, supplemental fibre may be necessary in certain cases.
Here are five signs that you might need a fibre supplement and the types of fibre that can help:
1. Frequent Constipation
Fibre plays a crucial role in maintaining regular bowel movements. A common sign that you need more fibre is experiencing constipation. When your diet lacks fibre, your stool can become hard and difficult to pass, leading to uncomfortable constipation. Fibre helps by adding bulk to stool, making it easier to move through the intestines.
How Fibre Helps: Soluble fibre absorbs water, forming a gel-like substance that improves stool consistency, eases straining, and speeds up stool passage. Insoluble fibre adds bulk to stool and stimulates the gut walls to push stool through.
Types of Fibre: Reach for fibre-rich foods first, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. If you need extra support, consider supplements like psyllium husk or pectin.
2. Blood Sugar Fluctuations
Soluble fibre is particularly beneficial for managing blood sugar levels. It works by slowing the absorption of sugar from the digestive system, which helps stabilize blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity. This is essential for maintaining consistent energy levels, supporting mood, and reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
How Fibre Helps: By slowing the rate of digestion and sugar absorption, fibre blunts post-meal blood sugar spikes, promoting better long-term blood sugar control.
Types of Fibre: Aim to get fibre from food sources like legumes, oats, and fruits. If you’re looking for an additional boost, try a supplement containing psyllium husk, oat beta-glucan, or glucomannan.
3. Frequent Hunger or Poor Appetite Control
If you often feel hungry shortly after meals or struggle to control your appetite, a lack of fibre could be the issue. Fibre helps regulate hunger by absorbing water and expanding in your stomach, slowing down digestion and promoting a feeling of fullness.
How Fibre Helps: Fibre adds bulk to your meals, making you feel satisfied for longer periods. This can help curb the urge to snack between meals and assist with portion control.
Types of Fibre: Start with fibre-rich foods such as vegetables, whole grains, pulses and fruits. If you need extra help, consider supplements like psyllium husk, glucomannan or beta-glucan.
4. Elevated Cholesterol
Soluble fibre has been shown to play a role in lowering cholesterol, particularly LDL (“bad” cholesterol). By binding to bile acids and promoting their excretion, fibre forces the body to draw from circulating cholesterol to create more bile, helping to lower total cholesterol levels and improve heart health.
How Fibre Helps: Soluble fibre may reduce the amount of cholesterol circulating in your bloodstream, which can lower your risk of heart disease.
Types of Fibre: To support healthy cholesterol levels, incorporate daily sources of soluble fibre like oats, psyllium, and flaxseed into your diet. If additional help is needed, consider psyllium husk, beta-glucan, or guar gum containing supplements.
5. Support a Healthy and Diverse Microbiota
Fibre plays a vital role in nurturing a healthy and diverse gut microbiota, which is essential for optimal digestive function, immunity, and overall health. Certain types of fibre, especially prebiotics, act as food for beneficial gut bacteria, encouraging their growth and helping to maintain a balanced microbiome. A diverse microbiota is associated with better digestion, reduced inflammation, and supports immune function.
How Fibre Helps: Fibre provides nourishment to beneficial microbes, helping to foster a more resilient and balanced gut environment. A healthy microbiota supports improved digestion, reduces bloating and gas, and enhances immune health.
Types of Fibre: Focus on incorporating a variety of fibre sources into your diet, particularly those that contain prebiotics. Foods such as garlic, onions, asparagus, leeks, and bananas are rich in prebiotic fibres. Additionally, consuming cooked and then chilled carbohydrates, such as potatoes, rice, oats or other whole grains, provides resistant starch, which supports gut health and enhances digestion. Supplements like inulin, beta glucan, pectin, partially hydrolyzed guar gum or fructooligosaccharides (FOS) may also help support the growth of beneficial bacteria.
It’s important to note that simply increasing fibre intake may not always solve digestive issues.
If you’re considering increasing your fibre intake or taking fibre supplements, it’s best to start low and go slow. Consult with a healthcare professional who can assess your individual needs and recommend appropriate types and amounts of fibre based on your specific health condition and symptoms.
References
1. Van der Schoot A, Drysdale C, Whelan K, Dimidi E. The Effect of Fiber Supplementation on Chronic Constipation in Adults: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2022;116(4):953.
2. Slavin J. Fiber and Prebiotics: Mechanisms and Health Benefits. Nutrients. 2013;5(4):1417.
3. Zhao, Yan, et al. “Probiotics and Prebiotics in Digestive Health.” PMC, 27 Nov. 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705355/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
4. Konjac glucomannan: A comprehensive review of its extraction, health benefits, and pharmaceutical applications. Carbohydrate Polymers. 2024;339:122266.
5. El Khoury D, Cuda C, Luhovyy BL, Anderson GH. Beta Glucan: Health Benefits in Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2011;2012:851362.
6. Salleh SN, Fairus AAH, Zahary MN, Bhaskar Raj N, Mhd Jalil AM. Unravelling the Effects of Soluble Dietary Fibre Supplementation on Energy Intake and Perceived Satiety in Healthy Adults: Evidence from Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised-Controlled Trials. Foods. 2019;8(1):15.
7. Kris-Etherton, Penny M., et al. “Effect of Psyllium (Plantago Ovata) Fiber on LDL Cholesterol and Alternative Lipid Targets, Non-HDL Cholesterol, and Apolipoprotein B: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 108, no. 5, 2018, pp. 922-932.
8. Lambeau KV, McRorie JW Jr. Fiber supplements and clinically proven health benefits: How to recognize and recommend an effective fiber therapy. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. 2017;29(4):216.
9. Guan ZW, Yu EZ, Feng Q. Soluble Dietary Fiber, One of the Most Important Nutrients for the Gut Microbiota. Molecules. 2021;26(22):6802.
10. The Impact of Dietary Fiber on Gut Microbiota in Host Health and Disease. Cell Host & Microbe. 2018;23(6):705-715.
