Fibre…
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helps you lose weight & improve body composition
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helps with cholesterol problems & cardiovascular disease
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improves diabetes & metabolic syndrome
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decreases inflammation in the gut & throughout the body
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helps with allergies, eczema, asthma & hay fever
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improves skin
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improves mood
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improves energy levels
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helps balance hormones
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strengthens & balances your immune system
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improves your digestion & absorption of nutrients
The reasons fibre can help with all of these things are complex – but basically it helps to improve your ‘internal ecosystem’ (specifically your gut microbial diversity & abundance). Our good gut bugs eat whatever makes it through into the large intestine intact (i.e. fibre), & when they are well fed every day – they do all kinds of great things for us. The research on this topic is fascinating, & will completely change the way we look at food, medicine & health in general.
If you’re keen to find out some more – here’s a few names to google & start reading about food, fibre & gut health in general.
- Justin Sonnenberg (researcher & author)
- Tim Spector (researcher & author)
- Martin Blaser (Dr and author – Missing Microbes)
- Rob Knight (research & publications)
- Professor Luigina Romani (researcher)
- Ruth Ley (Integrative Biology)
- Professor Liping Zhao (great video understanding gut bacteria and obesity)
- Dr Robynne Chutkan (Integrative GP – another great video on modern medicine and its impact)
You might also like to read: Not all Fibre is Created Equal and Fibre the Gut and Modern Disease
Please share some of your own ‘great reads’ in the comments below.