DIETARY FIBRE & HEALTH

“We’ve known for a long time that fibre helps keep our digestive system healthy. However, in the past 25 years research in this field has moved on and we’ve discovered other benefits. Higher intakes of dietary fibre, especially from cereal fibre and wholegrains, are associated with a lower risk of heart and circulatory disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.”
The British Heart Foundation

The gut microbiome is the complex ecosystem of microbes in our intestines and provides vital support for normal metabolic function and protection against illness. Dietary fibre is the primary food source for gut microbes. When gut bacteria ferment fibre in the colon, they produce short-chain fatty acids which are essential for maintaining gut and brain health.

The gut–brain axis links emotional and cognitive centres of the brain with peripheral intestinal functions. This connection means the brain can influence gut function (e.g. stress can cause stomach upset) and the gut can influence brain function (e.g. gut microbes can affect mood).

The gut microbiota, trillions of bacteria and other microbes, is central to the gut-brain axis. It helps regulate neurotransmitter production (about 90% of the body’s serotonin is made in the gut), maintain the gut barrier to prevent inflammation, and communicate with the brain via metabolites and neural pathways. An imbalance (called dysbiosis) has been linked to anxiety and depression, obesity, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Research into the gut-brain axis is helping explain why mental health disorders often co-occur with gut issues, how psychobiotics (probiotics that affect mood) could become treatments for anxiety and depression, and how dietary interventions might support neurological health.

“Adults are recommended to get around 30g of dietary fibre each day for the general health benefits. However, the latest figures suggest that in the UK, the average fibre intake for adults is 18g, 60% of what it should be.”
BDA The Association of UK Dieticians

33g of Ryeola, which is a generous handful, provides 4.1g fibre.