Fibre is a powerful ally in managing Type 2 diabetes. It helps to regulate blood sugar levels, improves digestion, and promotes fullness, making it a key nutrient for helping you to manage diabetes. We cover why it’s an important part of your diet and how you can get more on your plate.
What is fibre?
Fibre is a type of carbohydrate found in plants. In contrast to other carbohydrates, fibre is not fully broken down or absorbed by the gut. This means including fibre in our diet provides us with a wide range of health benefits, including helping to control blood glucose (sugar) levels.
Why is fibre important for managing diabetes?
Fibre helps to regulate the rate that glucose within a food is digested and absorbed by the body. Foods high in fibre have a lower glycaemic index (GI) and therefore release glucose slower into the blood. This results in a more gradual and controlled rise of blood glucose levels, helping with the overall management of diabetes.
For people living with diabetes or at risk, it is important to focus on the type and quality carbohydrates at each meal. Fibre is considered a high-quality carbohydrate and therefore fibre-rich foods are a great choice.
The latest international guidelines for the dietary management of type 2 diabetes show that that a diet based around plenty of fibre-rich plant foods can improve blood glucose levels, inflammation, cholesterol levels, and aid in weight management, whilst also being protective against heart disease.
How much fibre is recommended?
It is recommended for adults to consume 25-30g fibre a day.
However, people living with prediabetes, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, should aim for more than 35g fibre a day because of the added benefits.
Many New Zealand adults fall short of these recommendations. We don’t have accurate or up-to-date data, but the last NZ National Nutrition Survey (2008) suggested adults were eating an average of 20g fibre a day, with females consistently eating less than males. Given our reliance on refined, processed and packaged foods, it’s likely that many people are eating less than this.
What foods should I be eating?
The focus should be on eating plenty of whole foods that are naturally high in fibre.
These foods include wholegrains, vegetables, whole fruit, legumes, nuts and seeds. Whole foods provide so much more than just fibre! They positively impact our gut health, promote satiety and provide a wide range of nutrients.
You may find food products available in the supermarket that have added fibre like breakfast cereals or breads. Although added fibre is beneficial, these products undergo processing and often contain additives, added sugar and salt. They therefore may offer fewer nutritional benefits than whole foods naturally high in fibre delivering a package of nutrients.
One thing to keep in mind is that the refining of an initially high fibre food can impact the quantity of fibre present. Processed and milled wholegrains, for example, have a reduced ability to control blood glucose levels.
Where you can, choose high fibre foods like brown rice, bulgur wheat and oats as these foods have had very little to no processing. These foods have an intact grain where you can visibly see chunks, the grain has not been ground or crushed.
Similarly, you want to ensure fruit is minimally processed by keeping them whole or cut and with the skin on. This means cut up whole fruit instead of juicing or smoothies.
Top tip:
Slowly increase your fibre intake. A rapid increase in fibre may result in digestive discomfort such as bloating, gas and cramps. As fibre absorbs a lot of water, it is important to increase your daily water intake alongside this, to help the food move through your body.
How to crowd you plate with fibre
- Load up on vegetables. Aim for half a plate of vegetables at every meal.
- Choose wholegrains like brown rice, wholegrain bread, bulgur wheat, quinoa, wholemeal pasta, wholemeal flour and oats.
- Add legumes to your meals (beans, chickpeas, baked beans, lentils). You don’t need to eat vegan or vegetarian you can swap half meat to legumes too.
- Top meals with nuts and seeds such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts.
- Eat fruit and veg with the skins on where possible like pumpkin, kūmara.
- Choose high fibre snacks like fruit, vegetables with hummus, yoghurt with berries and nuts.
- If buying food products, aim for those with more than 5g fibre per 100g. This can be found on the nutrition label.
References:
(1) Diabetes and Nutrition Study Group (DNSG) of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) (2023). Evidence-based European recommendations for the dietary management of diabetes. Diabetologia, 66(6), 965–985. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-023-05894-8
(2) Reynolds, A. N., Akerman, A. P., & Mann, J. (2020). Dietary fibre and whole grains in diabetes management: Systematic review and meta-analyses. PLoS medicine, 17(3), e1003053. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003053
(3) University of Otago and Ministry of Health. 2011. A Focus on Nutrition: Key findings of the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey. Wellington: Ministry of Health.
