A more realistic way to assess your own needs is to ask three things:
1. Are you eating mostly refined carbs and protein, with very little fruit, vegetables, legumes or whole grains? Then you probably need more.
2. Do your meals leave you hungry again too quickly or your digestion sluggish? That is another clue your intake may be low.
3. Do you already have IBS or a sensitive gut? Then a slower increase will often receive a better response to soluble fibre.
So the real guideline is this: use 25–30 grams as the general target, adjust upwards if you eat more, and let your gut set the pace.
Who should be careful
More fibre is not always better, at least not immediately. According to sports nutritionist and integrative health coach Nicole Linhares Kedia, people with IBS, chronic constipation, colorectal polyps or sensitive guts may need to personalise their intake rather than suddenly overload on bran, seeds or raw salads. Fibre also needs water to move properly through the gut. Without enough fluids, it can make constipation and bloating worse.
What foods to eat for fibre and how
The best sources are probably already in your household pantry: lentils, chickpeas, rajma, sprouted moong, oats, barley, millets like ragi, jowar and bajra, plus fruits such as guava, papaya, apple and banana. Fibre is found only in plant foods, but not all fibre behaves the same way in the body. Soluble fibre dissolves in water and forms a gel-like texture in the gut, which helps slow digestion, improve fullness and support steadier blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Insoluble fibre, by contrast, does not dissolve in water; it adds bulk to stool and helps food move more efficiently through the digestive tract, which is why it is so closely tied to regularity. Most plant foods contain a mix of both, which is exactly why variety matters more than obsessing over one ‘superfood.’
“All fibre is created equal” is one of the biggest myths around it, says Linhares Kedia. Soluble fibre tends to show up in foods like oats, beans, apples, bananas and carrots, while insoluble fibre is more common in whole grains, nuts, seeds, cauliflower and the skins of fruits and vegetables. “Fibre only deals with constipation and diarrhoea” is another misconception, she says, when in reality it also plays a role in heart health and blood sugar regulation.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: vogue.in
