Fibre: The surprisingly simple supernutrient with far-reaching health benefits

When it comes to our diet, there is an ever-changing list of things touted as the key to better health: cutting out carbs, eating like a caveman or dosing up on supposed superfoods such as turmeric. Most fail to live up to the hype – but there is one supernutrient that bucks this trend.

It is common knowledge that dietary fibre is good for you, but few of us appreciate just how far-reaching its health benefits go. Being in the know is worth your while, though, especially given that the diets common in high-income nations mean it is all too easy to miss out.

Many of us will have experienced first hand the effects of dietary fibre on our body. Sometimes dubbed “nature’s laxative”, a lack of it can cause constipation. But there is much more to fibre than bowel movements. Diets high in this constituent are associated with reduced risks of many health conditions, including cancers and heart disease. This is because fibre isn’t just cardboardy filler, it is also food for the microorganisms in our gut. That means its effects can be felt throughout your body, as this microbiome influences the health of our immune system, brain and more, via the chemicals it produces.

“Fibre is the part of our diet that we cannot digest. Most comes from plant cell walls,” says Petra Louis at the University of Aberdeen…