Mention the word fibre, and most of us think of digestive health. However, fibre can actually have an important role to play in maintaining healthy capillaries. Indeed, a healthy amount of fibre may help to reduce the risk of developing spider veins (more to follow on this below). With this in mind, here is a little more information on fibre, as well as a few practical tips on how you can ensure your body obtains the recommended daily intake of fibre.

What is fibre?

Fibre is an indigestible source of carbohydrate, which means that the body cannot break it down and instead passes it through the digestive system to be excreted in your stools. You would think that if your body passes the fibre you eat as waste, that perhaps it has no benefit. However, fibre is really vital for our health, as it can help to reduce your risk of developing many different diseases, including bowel cancer, heart disease, strokes, and obesity¹. Fibre keeps our bowel healthy, ridding the body of any toxins.

Most of us don’t eat enough fibre, with many people in the UK only getting around half their recommended daily intake of 30g per day². High fibre foods include apples. lentils, avocados and wholegrain pasta. There are 2 main types of fibre: soluble and insoluble and they play different roles in our body. The insoluble form known as inulin and fructo-oligosaccharieds (or FOS), are common in onions and chicory. Fibre works like a sweep in our digestive system, removing any toxins as well as helping to keep everything moving. The soluble form of fibre helps to prevent constipation, aid the removal of excess cholesterol from your body, and soften your stools to make them easier to pass.

How does fibre help vein health?

When it comes to blood vessel health, both types of fibre are important. Firstly, they help to prevent constipation, by drawing water into the stools and keeping them soft, as well as stimulating the bowel to keep everything moving³. This is important, because when we struggle to go to the toilet and have to strain, we place much more pressure on our veins and capillaries, not only those around the anus, where stools are excreted, but throughout our body.

Fibre also helps us to feel fuller for longer, which is really important for weight management.⁴ Excess weight increases the pressure in our abdomen which can lead to vein and blood vessel problems increasing our risk of varicose and spider veins.

It is worth remembering that excess cholesterol in our body can lead to blood vessel plaques developing. Fortunately, fibre helps to remove excess cholesterol from the body, via the gut, thereby reducing the risk of excess cholesterol forming plaques within the vessel walls⁶.

How to include more fibre in your diet?

Many of us simply don’t include enough fibre in our diets. However, once you get into the habit of adding more fibrous foods, it’s easy to reach your daily target. You’ll find soluble fibre in whole grains: things like oats, barley, rye, fruits, flaxseed, chia seeds, and most vegetables. Insoluble fibre is found in whole grain wheat, nuts and seeds.

So how do you actually incorporate them into your diet? Here are a few simple tips you can try to do just that.

• Add a handful of blueberries to your breakfast cereal – these berries also are packed with plant flavonoids and Vitamin C which are important for blood vessels.
• Switch to whole grains and avoid white, refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white pasta, and biscuits.
• Keep the skins on your potatoes when cooking them, and eat jacket potatoes instead of mash. Don’t peel your apples and pears.
• When making your favourite meat dishes, add a tin of chickpeas, beans, or lentils. You’ll be adding more fibre — as well as saving your pennies by making your meat go further.
• Aim to consume five portions of different vegetables and two portions of fruit every day.
• Switch from refined breakfast cereals to porridge or a whole wheat based cereal with no added sugar.
• Try fruit kebabs for dessert, perhaps with a bit of dark chocolate.
• Snack on delicious vegetable crudites and low salt versions of hummus rather than reaching for a packet of crisps.
• Carry your own nut and seed mix with you on-the-go, or throw a handful onto your breakfast cereal.
• For those who are coeliac, there are many gluten free grains you can use that will support your fibre intake. These include brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and pasta made from lentils and beans. If you regularly experience constipation or other IBS-type symptoms, you may find that focusing on soluble fibre instead of wheat fibre is more gentle on the bowel and can keep things moving more effectively.

So there you have it, some top tips to increase your fibre intake and avoid health problems such as constipation. To find out more about blood vessels, collagen, and spider veins, but for more friendly advice explore our website or get in touch with one of our Nutrition Advisors.

References:

1. Threapleton DE et al., (2013) Dietary fibre intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: systematic review and meta-analysis BMJ 347: f6879
2. NHS Choices, Why is Fibre Important? www.nhs.co.uk
Jing Yang et al., (2012) Effect of dietary fiber on constipation: A meta analysis, World J Gastroenterol, 18(48): 7378–7383.
3. Champagne, C Et al., (2011) J Am Diet Assoc. Dietary intakes associated with successful weight loss and maintenance during the Weight Loss Maintenance Trial, J Am Diet Assoc. 2011 Dec; 111(12): 1826–1835.
4. Hussein M Atta (2012) Varicose Veins: Role of Mechanotransduction of Venous Hypertension, Int J Vasc Med. 538627.
5. Brown L et al., (1999) Cholesterol-lowering effects of dietary fiber: a meta-analysis, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 69 (1): 30-42.

 

Catherine Jeans

Catherine Jeans is a highly qualified and experienced Nutritional Therapist. She is regularly called upon by the media to comment and provide expert opinion on nutrition topics, as well as providing workshops online and around the UK for corporations, schools, charities and individuals who want to eat better and live better. Catherine is passionate about the link between what we eat and our health, and educates her clients on simple ways to transform your diet and in turn your wellbeing.