Is a high-fibre diet more important in coeliac disease?

In light of coeliac disease awareness week, we take a closer look at why a high-fibre diet is so important for those with this condition. 

Why do people with coeliac disease need more fibre?

If you’ve been following this blog for a good minute, you’ll know that we’re obsessed with fibre. Fibre plays a crucial role in digestion, metabolic function, mental wellbeing, and microbiome health. The recommended intake of fibre for a typical adult in the UK is 30g per day. However, research suggests that if you have coeliac disease, chances are you’re not meeting this goal.

Dietary fibre is found in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds. However, a significant proportion of fibre intake in the UK comes from wholegrains cereals, like bread and pasta. Unfortunately, many gluten-free alternatives to these foods are made refined flours where the fibre has been removed, such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch, and potato starch.

As a result, people following a gluten-free diet have lower fibre intakes, with a higher intake of fatty and highly processed foods. This is often why people with coeliac disease suffer from ongoing digestive symptoms, like constipation, diarrhoea, and bloating. In fact, lower fibre intake is linked to an increased risk of gastrointestinal symptoms in treated coeliac disease.

Even though a direct relationship has not been observed, it’s thought that higher fibre intake among coeliac disease patients could help to maintain low levels of inflammation in the gut, and reduce symptoms such as abdominal pain.

What can I do about it? 

The good news is, there are many naturally high-fibre gluten free foods available including fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, quinoa, brown rice, sorghum, and amaranth.

What else can I do to get enough fibre?

We get it. It’s hard to get enough fibre.

This is why the microbiome scientists and dietitians at myota have developed a number of custom fibre mixes that provides 1/3 (10g) of your fibre needs in just one tablespoon.

Our fibres are specifically designed to support immunity, metabolic health, mental wellbeing, digestive health, and gut microbiome diversity. Our mixes are purified versions of the fibres that comes from natural plant sources. Find out more here.