Soluble fibre absorbs water and forms a gel that helps slow down food as it passes through the digestive system. It can reduce appetite and significantly control weight. Foods high in soluble fibre, such as oats, flaxseeds, avocados, legumes, and Brussels sprouts, can help decrease the amount of fat accumulated around the waist.
Studies show that increasing soluble fibre intake reduces belly fat. For example, each 10-gram increase in daily soluble fibre intake leads to a 3.7% lower risk of gaining abdominal fat.
Other tips for healthy bowel habits
- Eat a varied, high fibre diet that includes fibrous foods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and pulses
- Drink lots of water – aim for around 2L per day and more in hot conditions.
- Keep active. Physical activity helps to move food through our digestive system
- Allow enough time to use the toilet so you don’t need to rush or strain
- Consider your body position on the toilet: lean forward with your back straight, place your forearms on your thighs and raise your feet slightly with a footstool.
- Avoid straining if possible
- Talk to your doctor if you notice sudden changes in bowel habits or the ‘alarm signals’ / ‘red flags’ such as blood in the stool, bowel motions at night, severe/ongoing diarrhea.
- Pay attention to your bowel habits so you notice when something changes
- If you are over 50 years of age, keep up to date with routine bowel cancer screening tests
While too much fibre may increase symptoms for people with IBS, for most people, the problem is eating too little fibre.
In the US for example, despite recommendations that adult women consume 25g fibre per day and men consume 38g fibre per day1, 95% of สมัครสมาชิก UFABET วันนี้ รับเครดิตฟรีทุกวัน Americans eat less than this2 and the average fibre intake is just 16g fibre per day2. There are a number of reasons for this poor fibre intake, including the uptake of gluten-free, wheat-free, and grain-free diets which limit or eliminate fibre-rich grains from the diet