With so many different diets, a wealth of superfoods and dozens of supplements designed to cure every ailment, it’s easy to be confused about which path to take. And while our intentions may be good, the confusion generated by all of the conflicting information out there can actually be harming our overall health.
More than half of New Zealanders (59%) have been eliminating foods from their diet in the hopes of improving their health, including fibre, Kellogg’s Fibre Poll Report found. But eliminating fibre could have a significant impact on the health of your gut.
Fibre is essential for feeding the good bacteria living in our gut, and anything less than the recommended daily intake of approximately 7g per day is harmful to our gut health.
“Fibre is the only thing we eat that makes it all the way into the gut still intact”, says Hannah Eriksen of the Nutrition Foundation.”It gives the gut bacteria something to do – they go to work, breaking it down and producing compounds that keep us healthy. Grain fibre, like what’s in breakfast cereal, acts as a food source for the gut, it helps good bacteria like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus to survive and thrive. That means a healthier gut”.
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