{"id":289911,"date":"2026-02-18T12:17:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T12:17:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/289911\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T12:17:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T12:17:08","slug":"the-3-distinct-types-of-fibre-you-need-daily-for-your-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/289911\/","title":{"rendered":"The 3 distinct types of fibre you need daily for your health"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018Oats aren\u2019t enough!\u2019 The 3 distinct types of fibre you need daily for your health (plus: the simplest sources of each)<\/p>\n

Fibre. It\u2019s the new protein. You can\u2019t move for headlines, social media posts and supermarket products extolling its virtues and its importance for our health. And they\u2019re right, for the most part. <\/p>\n

\u2018You need 30g of fibre<\/a> a day, yet only 4% of people in the UK are meeting that target,\u2019 says Dr Emily Leeming, microbiome scientist, registered dietitian and author of forthcoming book Fibre Power<\/a>. Fibre plays a vital role in our heart and digestive health, as well as our blood sugar control. There is strong evidence that eating plenty is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer. But not all fibre is created equal. <\/p>\n

Traditionally, explains Leeming, fibre was divided into two categories: \u2018soluble or insoluble, depending on how easily it dissolves in water, or on the other end of the spectrum, how much bulk it adds to the food in your gut, and to your poos for smooth toilet action.\u2019<\/p>\n

Soluble fibre<\/a> dissolves in water, says Professor Sarah Berry, Chief Scientist at ZOE: \u2018this can support steadier blood sugar after meals by slowing how quickly carbs are absorbed. It can also increase fullness by slowing digestion, which can make it easier to eat in a way that suits your appetite, and feed gut microbes, which can support the production of beneficial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids.\u2019<\/p>\n

Insoluble fibre<\/a>, \u2018does not dissolve in water,\u2019 she explains. \u2018Instead, it adds bulk and helps food move through the digestive tract, which can support regular bowel movements. Compared with many soluble fibres, it tends to be less fermented by gut microbes and contributes more to \u201croughage\u201d and stool bulk. It can be especially useful when the goal is improving stool consistency and reducing constipation risk, especially when paired with increased fluid intake and physical activity.\u2019<\/p>\n

A healthy diet contains both. Recently, however: \u2018we\u2019ve moved beyond those descriptions\u2019 explains Leeming. \u2018We now also refer to how viscous a fibre is \u2013 that\u2019s if it\u2019s able to thicken or form a gel and where many of the heart and blood sugar benefits of fibre come from, lowering levels of \u2018bad\u2019 cholesterol and slowing down the release of sugar into your bloodstream.\u2019<\/p>\n

There\u2019s more. \u2018A fibre can also be fermentable, feeding your gut microbes, which then ferment it into molecules for your health,\u2019 says Leeming. One notable kind is resistant starch \u2013 \u2018only officially considered a type of fibre in around 2008,\u2019 she explains. <\/p>\n

\u2018Resistant starch is technically a starch, but it \u201cresists\u201d digestion in the small intestine, so it behaves more like fibre,\u2019 adds Berry. \u2018It reaches the large intestine, where it can be fermented by gut<\/a> microbes, supporting the production of short-chain fatty acids. It can act as a prebiotic-style fuel for gut microbes because it reaches the large intestine intact and is fermented there and supports production of short-chain fatty acids, which help nourish and support the gut lining and are linked with wider metabolic effects.\u2019<\/p>\n

So, how can you harness the differing benefits of these various kinds of fibre? Nutrition guidelines don\u2019t break recommended amounts into different kinds of fibre, \u2018but we do know for health, it\u2019s best to have a variety of different types from whole foods,\u2019 says Leeming. <\/p>\n

Many wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, pulses, nuts and seeds contain several different types of fibres, she says, though \u2018beans, wholegrains and nuts and seeds are the most fibre-rich, often containing 2-3 times more fibre than some fruit and veg.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018The best sources for soluble fibre are oats, barley, beans, lentils and pectin-rich fruit and vegetables, such as citrus peels, plums, carrots and bananas,\u2019 says Berry. \u2018For insoluble fibre, I recommend wholegrains \u2013 especially wheat bran, brown rice and quinoa \u2013 leafy greens and other vegetables, nuts and seeds, and skin-on fruit.\u2019 Meanwhile: \u2018for resistant starch, it\u2019s legumes \u2013 such as beans, lentils and chickpeas, potatoes, cereal grains, cooked and then cooled starchy foods, such as rice or potatoes, where cooling increases resistant starch.\u2019<\/p>\n

All in all: \u2018It\u2019s best to aim for 30g of fibre a day, but through a range of fibre-rich foods so you get fibre variety,\u2019 says Leeming. Oats, in other words, aren\u2019t enough. <\/p>\n

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