The fruit and vegetable skins and cores typically thrown away are packed with dietary fiber, according to new research from King\u2019s College London.<\/p>\n
Researchers put 12 of the most common fruits and vegetables to the test: pineapple, watermelon, butternut squash, broccoli, and bell peppers. What they found was \u201cstriking.\u201d Skins, peels, seeds, and stalks contained more fiber than the actual fruit.<\/p>\n
Their findings suggest that adding more of these commonly discarded parts to meals could increase fiber intake while reducing waste.<\/p>\n
In the UK alone, only 4% of British adults meet the recommended minimum daily intake of 30g of dietary fibre, consuming an average of just 16.4g per day. At the same time, approximately 10 million tons of food is wasted annually, with fresh fruits and vegetables representing 36% of this.<\/p>\n
5x times more fiber in skin<\/p>\n
Pineapple skin and core had the densest fiber content, at 453.7% more fiber than flesh. It would take about five portions of the fruit to match that figure. <\/p>\n
Butternut squash skin and seeds contained 9.25 grams of fiber per 100 grams, nearly one-third of the UK\u2019s recommended daily intake of 30 grams.<\/p>\n
Watermelon rind contained 2.10 grams of fiber per 100 grams, approximately the equivalent of a slice of wholemeal bread.<\/p>\n
Researchers found that the refuse accounted for 25% and 48% of the produce\u2019s total weight.<\/p>\n
Researchers examined whether \u201croot-to-tip\u201d eating, which incorporates discarded edible plant components into meals, could increase fiber intake and reduce food waste.<\/p>\n
\u201cImportantly, this is not about encouraging people to eat \u2018100g of butternut squash skin and seeds\u2019 to increase fiber intake,\u201d Bajka said.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather, by making better use of the often-overlooked parts of fruits<\/a> and vegetables as part of everyday meals, we have an opportunity to increase dietary fiber intake in a simple and sustainable way.\u201d<\/p>\n Dietary fiber plays an important role in digestive health and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, according to the release.<\/p>\n Consumers prioritize nutrition over sustainability<\/p>\n The researchers acknowledged several limitations: the small selection of produce types that they tested, the methods used, and the need to consider risks associated with consuming skins. <\/p>\n \u201cFuture research should also address any unintended consequences which may arise from increased consumption of \u2018root-to-tip\u2019 components, including managing exposure to anti-nutritional plant residues which can have adverse health effects if ingested above safe limits,\u201d the authors wrote.<\/p>\n They identified pesticide residues, heavy metals and naturally occurring toxic compounds as potential concerns requiring further investigation. And they didn\u2019t establish whether incorporating skins, seeds, and cores would improve health outcomes. <\/p>\n Researchers stated that they\u2019d had to conduct further research to quantify any increase in dietary fiber<\/a> intake through \u2018root-to-tip\u2019 eating and to investigate associated health outcomes,\u201d the researchers concluded.<\/p>\n According to Gibson, the approach wouldn\u2019t require dramatically changing one\u2019s diet, but rather figuring out how to integrate these skins, seeds, and cores into the food we normally consume. <\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t about perfection,\u201d Gibson said. \u201cAnd this isn\u2019t about forcing people to eat unpalatable food<\/a> \u2013 it\u2019s about recognizing the nutritional value in components we\u2019ve been conditioned to discard, which is exactly why we trialed the root-to-tip menu at King\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n