Barley Facts

Why fibre is such an important part of your diet

By 5th June 2020 No Comments

Did you know the average adult only eats 15g of fibre a day? Women need 25g per day and men are supposed to eat 38g of fibre a day.

But just why is fibre so important in our diet and what does it actually do?

It has a range of valuable health effects:

• Smooths out digestion and absorption of glucose and fats in the small intestine.
• It reduces the Glycaemic Index of a meal.
• Provides fuel for the “good” bacteria in our large intestine which in turn benefit us by making the important vitamin B12, and by releasing volatile fatty acids from the dietary fibre which are important for the health of our colon.
• Speeds up transit though the intestines to remove waste and toxins from our body
• Regulates bowel action, so reduces cancer risks.
• Also keeps you fuller for longer – so prevents you from snacking!

So where can we get our fibre from?

Generally, dietary fibre is present in all plant foods – fruits, vegetables and grains – but not in animal foods. This is mainly because of the difference in cell structures – plants cells have cell walls, animal cells don’t.

Some good sources of fibre are dates, raspberries, artichokes and spinach.

Barley too, is a rich source of fibre – which is why our Bright Barley drinks offer you a great fibre boost. Choose from chocolate, salted caramel or coffee!

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