For various reasons I won’t bore you with now, I was recently challenged to quickly explain what I knew, or thought I knew, about fibre. When I stumbled a couple of times, I realised it was high time for me to refresh my understanding of the basics.

Understanding the value of fibre in the WFPB diet is as essential as having wheels on your car. It goes along with how carbs do and don’t affect us, of course, but I won’t bother the more subtly nuanced with those details for the moment.

So, let’s get down to it.

Fibre is essential for digestive health. It adds bulk and absorbs water, helping to soften stools and prevent constipation. And it feeds gut bacteria. Some types of fibre are prebiotic: chicory root, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, wheat, and bananas are good examples.

Something we can’t digest

Dietary fibre makes up a large class of carbohydrates that our bodies can’t digest and absorb. Essentially, fibre is what keeps our digestive system healthy. It travels slowly through the intestine and provides several health benefits along the way.

Unfortunately, it won’t help with grey hair, but research has clearly proven that the more fiber we eat, the more we lower our risk of early death from the likes of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, colorectal and breast cancers.

The problem is, most of us don’t eat enough fibre. For instance, in the US only around 6 per cent of people take in sufficient fibre. In New Zealand, that figure divides at four per cent for men and 12 per cent for women. Around 83 per cent of Australians fail to meet the recommended fibre intake, and in England, the figure is over 90 per cent.

Generally speaking, we all need around 25 to 35 grams of fibre per day. Anyone following a WFPB eating regimen should easily meet or exceed this.

There are plenty of myths around the value of fibre in our diet. The most misleading of them is that our ancestors ate mostly meat and consumed fibre sparingly. Not true. Scientists have found that our ancestors were regular consumers of berries, nuts, seeds, and plant roots. Many hunter-gatherer societies, like the Hadza, still living in Tanzania today, can consume up to 100 grams of fibre a day.

Try out Innes Hope’s Wonder Salad

Fibre is essential to us, and consuming it is not only tasty but also enjoyable. Click on the image to access the recipe for assembling this delicious salad and discover what makes it fun to share with friends.

There are two types of fibre, soluble and insoluble. But which of these helps most when it comes to lowering cholesterol and stabilising blood sugar?

If you thought soluble, you’d be right. This type of fibre forms a gel-like substance in your gut, binding cholesterol and slowing down sugar absorption. It can also help with bowel regularity. Bananas, citrus fruits, mangoes, avocados, sweet potatoes and oatmeal are especially rich sources.

Insoluble fibre prevents constipation. It helps with bowel regularity. Good sources include nuts, seeds, legumes and most fruits and vegetables with skins.

So, which of the following contains the most fibre: strawberries, blueberries, walnuts or chia seeds? Actually, they all contain fibre, but on a per volume basis, chia seeds are the hands-down winner, and they’re a good source of Omega 3 as well.

Juicing vs blending

When it comes to liquid consumption, another urban myth centres around juicing vs blending. The problem with juicing, made popular in the movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, is that it destroys virtually all the fibre content. Blending is preferable because much of the fibre content is retained, albeit in a shorter form.

These days, big business likes to tell you that you can pick up most of your fibre needs from one of their ‘magic’ supplements. Wrong.

Fill your fibre needs from whole foods like legumes, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. They’re packed with nutrients and contain many types of fiber, which promote a healthier, more diverse gut microbiome.

Manufactured supplements are absolutely no match for the real thing, and you’ll receive all the benefits you need by consuming a wide variety of plants.

Finally, it may surprise some to know that even grass-fed beef contains no fibre. There is no fibre in any meat whatsoever. Real health comes from plants.