In the past 12 months, 50 per cent of Australians have complained about gut troubles, with one in every five Australians having a diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
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Fibre known as the indigestible part of plant foods is vital for good gut health, but these aren’t the only benefits.
Fibre can reduce your risk of diverticulitis, food intolerances (IBS), coronary heart disease, colorectal cancer and constipation.
There are three types of fibre – soluble fibre, insoluble fibre and resistant starch.
Insoluble fibre or ‘roughage’ helps keep the bowel regular, supports good gut bacteria growth and adds bulk to your stools.
Sources: Wholegrain and wholemeal breads and cereals, nuts and seeds and stalks, husk, peal or seed of fruit and vegetables.
Soluble fibre acts like a sponge, absorbing water as it moves through the bowel softening stools, making them easier to pass, while lowering cholesterol and stabilising blood sugar levels.
Sources: legumes, bananas, oranges, apples, strawberries, potatoes, peas and cauliflower.
Resistant starch is often the ‘forgotten’ fibre. It’s named because of its ‘resistant’ to digestion in the gut and has similar benefits to soluble fibre.
What makes resistant starch so popular now is it role as a natural prebiotic.
Prebiotics promote good bacteria growth and boost gut immunity, allowing the body to fend of nasty pathogens and potential bad bacteria.
Sources: unripe bananas, boiled long grain rice, potatoes and baked beans.
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