Why Should You Check Your Fibre Intake After 40s

Blogs12 Sep 2024

As we grow older, some aspects of our health such as digestion may require extra Everybody is always raving about having more fibre and asking their loved ones to do the same. But why is it important? Fibre or dietary fibre also known as roughage or bulk is a component of plant products that remains indigestible to our body. That’s right. You might think that just like proteins, fats and carbohydrates, we need fibre because we can digest them, but that’s not the case. We need fibre even though we cannot digest it! And we might need it even more once we cross 40.

In this article, we’ll take you through the importance of fibre for digestion, ageing and more. We’ll also give you tips on how to safely increase your daily fibre requirement by giving you a list of high-fibre sources. So, let’s get started!

The Importance of Fibre

The dietary fibre we consume in our food is of two types: soluble fibre and insoluble fibre. Both types are differentiated based on if they are soluble in water. Soluble fibre can be found in oats, beans, apples, citrus fruits etc., and may help lower blood cholesterol levels and glucose levels. Meanwhile, insoluble fibre does not dissolve in water and helps promote the movement of food material through the entire digestive tract. The advantages of eating fibre of the insoluble kind are that it can help increase your stool bulk and help relieve digestive issues such as constipation.

The Indian Council of Medical Research recommends that adult males have at least 30g of fibre per day and adult women have 25g of fibre per day to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Overall, consuming both types of fibre and having a fibre-rich diet is linked with several health benefits. Some of the main benefits that highlight dietary fibre importance are:

• Stabilising bowel movements
• Reducing the risk of developing haemorrhoids and other conditions
• Lowering cholesterol levels, maintaining blood pressure levels and fighting inflammation
• Controlling blood sugar levels and reducing the risk of diabetes
• Aiding in weight management

High-fibre food sources to include in your meals

Fibre can mainly be found in these food groups:

Fruits:

Raspberries, pears, apples with skin, bananas, oranges, guava, pomegranate and strawberries are some fruits high in fibre.

Vegetables:

Green peas, broccoli, turnip, Brussels sprouts, potato with skin, sweet corn, cauliflower, and green leafy vegetables are a few high-fibre vegetables you should eat more often.

Whole grains:

Oats, whole wheat bran, quinoa, popcorn, whole wheat bread and brown rice are some examples of fibre-rich whole grain food products.

Legumes:

Split peas, lentils, black beans, chickpea, Bengal gram and kidney beans etc., are some legumes high in fibre.

Nuts and seeds:

Add chia seeds, almonds, pistachios, walnut and sunflower seeds to your trail mixes for some much-needed dose of fibre!

Do We Need More Fibre As We Age?

Ageing can be a risk factor for developing some changes in your digestion. Ageing can cause a lower absorption of certain vitamins and minerals, acid reflux, stomach sensitivity to medications etc. As we grow older, our stomachs tend to produce less acid and the muscles in our digestive tract may slow down after decades of working hard. This could result in an overall slower digestion in your midlife and beyond. That’s why having more fibre can promote better digestion and easier movement of the material through the digestive tract. It may also prevent issues like constipation, high cholesterol levels and high blood sugar levels.

How to Increase Your Daily Fibre Intake for Adults

Some ways to add more fibre to your day-to-day routine is by following these important pointers:

• Try to increase fibre intake slowly. Remember, excess of anything isn’t healthy so be slow and mindful while increasing your amount of fibre needed per day.
• You can start your day with fibre to try and fill your daily required intake. Choose fruits in your cereal, make light and healthy dishes using whole grains or millets and you will have a fibre-rich start to your day!
• Snack on healthy fibre-rich foods. Yes, you can even make snacks count by choosing more fibre-rich options to increase your daily fibre requirement.
• When plating each meal, make sure to Include fibre in the form of fruits and vegetables.
• Lastly, you can speak with your physician about the fibre required per day and ask them if you need supplements.

Conclusion

To conclude, you should keep in mind that although our body does not absorb fibre to sustain its important functions, fibre is an essential part of our food that even undigested, gives us several health benefits such as aiding digestion, increasing stool bulk, preventing or relieving constipation, maintaining a healthy weight, providing satiety, lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels etc. And fibre becomes more important for adults as we age because our digestive systems tend to slow down with age. Hence having a wholesome and nourishing fibre-rich diet can keep your digestion on track and prevent digestive issues from occurring often.

We hope this article helped you understand the importance of dietary fibre, especially for adults as they age and how you can increase your daily fibre requirement. For more such informative blogs on health, nutrition, and ageing, explore Right Shift. We are champions of a healthy midlife and beyond and push you towards a healthier future. You can take the first step towards health by trying out our health score calculator. This will help you understand where you currently stand and how much work you need to put in. Moreover, you can also try our free meal plans to get a simple and effective meal plan for yourself depending on your preferences and health goals. So, don’t wait, and make the right shift today!