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A review commissioned by the World Health Organisation found that people who get plenty of fibre in their diet cut their risk of early mortality by up to a third. They also reduce the risk of a heart attack, stroke, type two diabetes or bowel cancer by up to a quarter.
Fibre – roughageis vital for digestion and helps keep people feeling fuller for longer. It is found in high levels in fruit, vegetables, and cereals, as well as bread and pasta made with wholegrain and wholewheat. But the rise of processed food which often cuts out much of the fibre in raw ingredients has meant people often get too little of these ingredients.
Evidence from population studies, human experimental work and the biochemistry and physiological of fibre showed that it aids digestion and may increase longevity. People who ate more than 30g a day of fibre – the amount recommended by Public Health England – were 24 per cent less likely to die early from any cause than people who ate 8g a day.
And for those who ate more than 35g the risk dropped by over a third. To make sure people get enough fibre, potatoes, pasta, bread and other starchy carbohydrates – traditional foods which are dropping out of fashion – should form the main components of a healthy diet, health officials say.
To eat 30g of fibre people should eat five portions of fruit and veg per day, as well as the equivalent of two wholemeal breakfast cereal biscuits, two thick slices of wholemeal bread and a large jacket potato with the skin on.
But, critically, people should choose wholemeal options in order to get the most nutrition out of the carbohydrates they eat. Fibre-rich whole foods that require chewing and retain much of their structure in the gut increase satiety and help weight control and can favourably influence lipid [cholesterol] and glucose levels.’
For every 8g increase of dietary fibre eaten per day, deaths decreased by between 5 and 27 per cent. Consuming 25g to 29g each day was adequate but more than 30g would give greater protection. Protection against stroke, and breast cancer also increased.