Dr Xand raised the alarm on BBC’s Morning Live and urged people to eat more of the key nutrient
A health expert has highlighted a major dietary issue affecting almost all Brits across the UK. Appearing on today’s episode (February 2) of BBC Morning Live, Dr Xand spoke to hosts Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones about a key nutrient many people aren’t getting enough of, despite its ‘superfood’ status and disease-fighting properties, including cardiovascular disease.
Dr Xand van Tulleken, whose full name is Alexander van Hoogenhouck-Tulleken, is a British doctor, television presenter and author. He specialises in tropical medicine and public health. Dr Xand often discusses medical science, nutrition, and health policy on BBC shows such as Morning Live and Trust Me, I’m a Doctor.
During the episode, Dr Xand spoke to Helen and Gethin about the importance of getting enough fibre in your diet and consuming a certain amount of food rich in the key nutrient daily. He told viewers that the NHS recommends 30 grams of fibre per day, but 96% of people in the UK are not meeting this, with the average intake around 16 grams.
The doctor said fibre is known for a wide variety of health benefits beyond just helping with regular bowel movements, including being associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and bowel cancer.
He said: “The NHS itself, which is where we should be getting our health information from, says we should be getting 30 grams of fibre a day. Ninety-six per cent of people in the UK are not getting there, and we’re not even, we’re basically getting halfway there, we’re on around 16 grams a day.
“So it is something that we should think about. We you know perhaps when I was growing up fibre was about sort of keeping you regular and it was sort of prunes and bran flakes and things like that. But really, fibre now has been shown to have a very, very wide variety of health benefits.”
Explaining the benefits of getting enough fibre in your diet, Dr Xand there are various different types of fibre. Highlighting the benefits of soluble fibre, Dr Xand said: “Soluble fibre is things like oats, barley, lentils. Lots of fruit, and lots of plants, have soluble fibre... Now, soluble fibre gets digested by the bugs in our microbiome.
“They make molecules that seem to be very good for our hearts, our brains, our immune systems. They’re called short-chain fatty acids. So although we can’t digest soluble fibre, the bugs in our gut can, and it’s very, very good for us.” He added: “It’s associated with a lower risk of diabetes, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, bowel cancer, lots of benefits.”
Foods that are rich in fibre are things like legumes (like lentils and black beans), whole grains (such as oats, quinoa, and whole-wheat pasta), nuts and seeds (like chia seeds and almonds), and fruits and vegetables that have skin (like berries, apples, and broccoli). It’s suggested to aim for 30 grams of fibre each day, which can usually be done by including bran, pulses, and wholemeal options in your meals.
What are the different types of fibre?
Fibre is a complex array of molecules with different roles:
- Soluble Fibre: Found in oats, barley, lentils, and fruit. It’s digested by gut bacteria (the microbiome) to produce short-chain fatty acids, which are beneficial to the heart, brain, and immune system.
- Insoluble Fibre: The classic “roughage” that bulks up stool and is linked to a lower risk of cancer.
- Prebiotic Fibre: Found in foods like garlic, onions, green bananas, and asparagus.
- Resistant Starch: Found in unripe (green) bananas, or in starchy foods (like potatoes and rice) that have been cooked, frozen, and reheated/toasted.
How can we add fibre to each meal of the day?
Dr Xand said: “Well, we can start with breakfast, switch to wholemeal bread, that’s 6.6 grams of fibre. You can add a sliced banana, which is one and a half grams of fibre. Some fruit juice, 1.2 grams of fibre. That gets you almost to a third of your requirement of someone eating the bottle with breakfast. That’s a third of your fibre right there.
“Lunch, jacket potato. Everyone loves a jacket potato. Eat the skin. That’s almost five grams of fibre. Half a tin of baked beans, 200 grams of baked beans. That’s almost 10 grams of fibre. Apple’s got 1.2 grams of fibre. You’re up to 15 grams of fibre. You’re going to cruise home. You’ve only got to get five grams of fibre for dinner.
“Not too hard. You can try a snack in the afternoon, like 30 grams of almonds. That’s almost four grams of fibre. You can have an apple. And for dinner, you can go for something like a vegetable curry.
“You could get six grams of fibre in that. Some whole grain rice that gets you another almost three grams. And then, a fruit yoghurt could give you almost 10 grams of fibre. So that’s already well into heading towards 40 grams.”
Does fibre really help ward off heart disease and bowel cancer?
Eating a lot of fibre is really linked to having a lower chance of getting heart disease and bowel (colorectal) cancer. Health organisations such as the NHS and Cancer Research UK suggest that we should eat more fibre to stay healthy and help avoid these problems. A statement on Cancer Research UK reads: “Yes, a high-fibre diet, including plenty of wholegrains, can lower the risk of bowel cancer. Not all cases of bowel cancer can be prevented”.
Soluble fibre, which is found in oats, beans, and fruits, creates a gel in the digestive system. This gel can bind to bile acids that are high in cholesterol and help remove them from the body, leading to lower levels of “bad” (LDL) cholesterol in the blood. Foods that are high in fibre tend to be more satisfying, which can help keep your appetite in check and support a healthy weight.
This also helps manage blood pressure, an important risk factor for heart disease. Fibre is broken down by helpful gut bacteria, creating short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that have anti-inflammatory properties. These are believed to be beneficial for heart health.
