Brits urged to eat more of food type that can slash risk of diabetes and cancer

A bowl of porridge topped with raspberries and blueberries.
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A health expert has urged Brits to ensure they are getting enough of certain foods in their diets that can help to lower their risk of heart disease, diabetes and even some cancers.

Fibre, also referred to as roughage, is the name for substances in plant foods that can't be completely broken down by digestion. It can only be found in foods that come from plants, such as whole grain carbohydrates like bread, rice, pasta and cereals, as well as fruit vegetables, beans, lentils nuts and seeds.

However, it has been branded the 'forgotten nutrient' by dietitian and author Dr Emily Leeming, who echoed the NHS warning that most people are not consuming enough fibre. While Government guidelines recommend that we should be taking in 30g of fibre a day as part of a healthy and balanced diet, most adults are only eating an average of around 20g, SurreyLive reports.

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Dr Leeming advised: "When I talk about fibre, the key foods that I really want to talk about are what I call the BGBGs. That's beans, greens, berries, grains, and nuts and seeds."

She added: "What might surprise people is that the highest-fibre foods are whole grains, nuts and seeds, and beans - much more so than most fruits and vegetables, which I think is quite counter-intuitive for some people."

The British Heart Foundation explains that higher intakes of dietary fibre, particularly from the likes of cereal fibre and wholegrains, are linked with a lower risk of heart and circulatory diseases and type 2 diabetes, as well as certain cancers including bowel cancer. The NHS adds that a diet rich in fibre can help us to feel fuller, aid digestion, and prevent constipation.

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The health service adds: "Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram they contain fewer than half the calories of fat. Just watch out for the added fats you use when you cook and serve them, because this will increase the calorie content."

So how can you include more fibre in your diet? The NHS has issued a list of recommended foods that you can try to increase your intake, which includes starting your day with high fibre breakfast cereals such as plain wholewheat biscuits like Weetabix, plain shredded wholegrain like Shredded Wheat, or porridge oats.

When it comes to bread, the health service recommends opting for wholemeal or granary breads, and you may also want to consider incorporating wholegrains like wholewheat pasta and brown rice into your diet too. When you have potatoes, try to eat them with their skins on, such as a baked potato or boiled new potatoes.

You can also add pulses such as beans, lentils or chickpeas to stews, curries and salads for a quick and easy fibre boost, the NHS advises. And when it comes to snacks, try to go for fresh fruit, vegetable sticks, rye crackers, oatcakes, and unsalted nuts or seeds.