Unlike other carbohydrates, fibre is not digested in the small intestine. Instead, it passes to the large intestine, where it supports digestion, metabolic health, and gut microbiome balance (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 2025).

Fibre is essential for maintaining healthy bowel movements, regulating blood sugar, supporting heart health, and helping with weight management (Harvard Health Publishing, 2024a). Despite these benefits, many adults do not meet the recommended daily fibre intake.

Fibre is generally divided into soluble, insoluble, and resistant starch/fermentable fibres. Each type has unique benefits for your health.

Soluble fibre dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance in the gut.
Sources: oats, psyllium, legumes (beans, lentils), nuts, seeds, fruits like apples, berries, and citrus.

Benefits:
• Slows digestion and helps maintain stable blood sugar levels
• Lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol to support heart health
• Promotes satiety, helping with weight control
• Feeds gut bacteria, producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that nourish the colon (Harvard Health Publishing, 2024b; MDPI, 2022)

Insoluble fibre does not dissolve in water and adds bulk to stool, speeding up digestion.
Sources: whole grains, vegetable and fruit skins, nuts, and seeds
Benefits:
• Supports regular bowel movements
• Helps prevent constipation and digestive disorders
• Promotes overall colon health (Harvard Health Publishing, 2024a)

Resistant starch is a type of carbohydrate that resists digestion in the small intestine and acts like fibre.
Sources: under-ripe bananas, cooked and cooled potatoes or rice, legumes, whole grains, and specialised resistant starch products like Solnul®.

Solnul® (Resistant Potato Starch) is a resistant starch (RS2) that resists digestion in the small intestine, acting like a prebiotic fibre.

• Gut effects: Feeds beneficial bacteria (e.g., Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia), supporting gut barrier health, reducing inflammation, and improving microbiome balance.

• Benefits: Improves digestion and stool consistency, may support metabolic health, enhances nutrient absorption, and may influence gut–skin and gut–brain axes.

• Why it’s special: High RS2 content (>60%), effective at low doses, neutral taste, allergen-free, non-GMO, gluten-free, suitable for sensitive digestion.

Using Solnul® or similar resistant starches can be a convenient way to boost daily fibre intake while supporting gut and metabolic health.

Many guidelines have set a target of 25–35 grams of fibre per day for healthy adults (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 2025).

Some experts recommend 14 grams of fibre per 1,000 calories consumed, which equates to roughly 28–34 grams per day for a typical 2,000–2,400 kcal diet (Harvard Health Publishing, 2024c).

Despite this, many people fall short; the average fibre intake in Western populations is only 15–16 grams per day (Harvard Health Publishing, 2024b). Incorporating foods like whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and resistant starch products like Solnul® can help meet these targets.

Consuming adequate fibre offers wide-ranging benefits:

• Digestive Health: Prevents constipation, haemorrhoids, and diverticular disease

• Gut Microbiome Support: Fermentable fibres feed beneficial bacteria, producing SCFAs that maintain colon health

• Blood Sugar Regulation: Soluble fibre slows glucose absorption

• Heart Health: Reduces LDL cholesterol and supports cardiovascular function

• Weight Management: High-fibre foods increase satiety and control appetite

• Reduced Risk of Chronic Disease: Lowers risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers (Harvard Health Publishing, 2024b; MDPI, 2022)

• Choose whole grains like brown rice, whole-wheat bread, oats, and barley
• Include legumes, such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas
• Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits, including edible skins
• Incorporate resistant-starch foods: cooled potatoes, rice, legumes, or Solnul®
• Increase fibre gradually to avoid bloating or digestive discomfort
• Drink plenty of water to help fibre move smoothly through the digestive system (Harvard Health Publishing, 2024d)

A varied, plant-rich diet ensures you consume both soluble and insoluble fibre, while supporting gut microbiome diversity.
Fibre is an essential nutrient with broad health benefits, including digestion, metabolic health, heart health, weight management, and disease prevention. By consuming a variety of fibre-rich foods—whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and resistant-starch sources like Solnul®—adults can meet the recommended daily intake and support long-term health. Gradual incorporation and adequate hydration ensure maximum benefits with minimal discomfort.

• HCSIRO (2023) Resistant starch facts. Available at: https://www.csiro.au/en/research/health-medical/nutrition/Resistant-starch (Accessed: 10 December 2025).
• Harvard Health Publishing (2024a) The facts on fiber. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/the-facts-on-fiber (Accessed: 10 December 2025).
• Harvard Health Publishing (2024b) Fiber-full eating for better health and lower cholesterol. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fiber-full-eating-for-better-health-and-lower-cholesterol-2019062416819 (Accessed: 10 December 2025).
•Harvard Health Publishing (2024c) Fabulous fiber. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/fabulous-fiber (Accessed: 10 December 2025).
• Harvard Health Publishing (2024d) How and why to fit more fiber and fermented food into your meals. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-and-why-to-fit-more-fiber-and-fermented-food-into-your-meals-202404263036 (Accessed: 10 December 2025).
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2025) Fiber. The Nutrition Source. Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/fiber/ (Accessed: 10 December 2025).
• MDPI (2022) Therapeutic benefits and dietary restrictions of fiber intake: A state-of-the-art review. Nutrients, 14(13), 2641. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/13/2641 (Accessed: 10 December 2025).
• MDPI (2020) Dietary fibre diversity and health outcomes. Nutrients, 12(9), 2553. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/9/2553 (Accessed: 10 December 2025).