Subscribe now

Health

The surprisingly simple supernutrient with far-reaching health impacts

Most ingredients touted as the key to better health fail to live up to the hype but fibre bucks this trend, with benefits for the whole body, not just the gut

By Michael Marshall

30 October 2024

Close-up of woman eating omega 3 rich salad. Female having healthy salad consist of chopped salmon, spinach, brussels sprouts, avocado, soybeans, wakame and chia seeds in a bowl.

New studies are showing ever more reasons to eat up your greens

Alvarez/Getty Images

When it comes to our diet, there is an ever-changing list of things touted as the key to better health: cutting out carbs, eating like a caveman or dosing up on supposed superfoods such as turmeric. Most fail to live up to the hype – but there is one supernutrient that bucks this trend.

It is common knowledge that dietary fibre is good for you, but few of us appreciate just how far-reaching its health benefits go. Being in the know is worth your while, though, especially given that the diets common in high-income nations mean it is all too easy to miss out.

This article is part of a series on nutrition that delves into some of the hottest trends of the moment. Read more here.

Many of us will have experienced first hand the effects of dietary fibre on our body. Sometimes dubbed “nature’s laxative”, a lack of it can cause constipation. But there is much more to fibre than bowel movements. Diets high in this constituent are associated with reduced risks of many health conditions, including cancers and heart disease. This is because fibre isn’t just cardboardy filler, it is also food for the microorganisms in our gut. That means its effects can be felt throughout your body, as this microbiome influences the health of our immune system, brain and more, via the chemicals it produces.

“Fibre is the part of our diet that we cannot digest. Most comes from plant cell walls,” says Petra Louis at the University of Aberdeen…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox! We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Unlock this article

No commitment, cancel anytime*

Offer ends 15 January 2025.

*Cancel anytime within 14 days of payment to receive a refund on unserved issues.

Inclusive of applicable taxes (VAT)

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account