Eating more fibre could lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease, a study has found. A paper in the British Medical Journal aimed to investigate the potential connection between dietary fibre intake and coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). It concluded that greater dietary fibre intake is associated with a lower risk of both conditions.
The findings are aligned with general recommendations to increase fibre intake, and it identified a "significantly lower risk of 9%" for both CVD and CHD with every additional 7 g/day of total fibre consumed.
Small reductions, big impact
"Because CVD is one of the major causes of death in the UK and prevalence rates among the population are estimated to be around 13-16%, small reductions in risk could affect many thousands of individuals," the conclusion of the study reads.
"An additional 7 g of fibre (AOAC) can be provided through eating just one portion of whole grains plus a portion of beans or lentils, or through two to four servings of fruit and vegetables."
Five high-fibre foods to add to your diet
According to Nuffield Health, several foods across different food groups are considered to be the highest in fibre, making it easier for people to get 7 grams more per day. Here are 5 examples of high-fibre foods that are easy to add to your everyday diet:
Lentils
Lentils are an incredibly cheap way to add more protein and fibre to your diet. Lentils can easily be incorporated into a curry, and tinned lentils are already cooked, so they can simply be incorporated into the sauce while it's simmering. According to Nuffield Health, lentils contain 7.9g of fibre per 100g.
Avocados
Growing in popularity in the UK over the past few years, avocados have become a staple part of a weekend breakfast or brunch for many British households. And there are many health benefits, including 6.7g of fibre per 100g.
Chickpeas
Chickpeas are a source of fibre as well as protein, and many vegetarians and vegans use them as a replacement for meat in things like salads, curries and pastas. Chickpeas can usually be purchased for under £1 in the supermarket, and they contain around 7.6g of fibre per 100g.
Chia seeds
Usually bought for relatively cheaply in the supermarket, chia seeds can be added to smoothies, porridge or cereal to give yourself a considerable boost of fibre every day. They contain around 34.4g of fibre per 100g, so a little goes a long way.
Black Beans
Added to salads, blended up to make vegetarian burgers, incorporated into rich sauces, or cooked into a chilli, black beans are an easy and cheap way to add fibre to your diet every day. According to Nuffield Health, there is 8.7g of fibre per 100g.
