With the current trends for both protein and fibremaxxing taking over, it can be difficult to understand which one is more important.
Should we focus on eating enough protein each day and hitting our targets, or should fibre be the priority for gut health and well-being?
To answer these questions, we spoke to two dietitians, who shared their expert advice and explained how protein and fibre can complement each other.
“Both are important,” explains British women’s health dietitian, performance nutritionist and author Dr Linia Patel.
“It comes back to this idea that nutrition is never about nutrients in isolation.
“We see from evidence when we look at whether it’s longevity data or just weight management data – it’s about dietary pattern and it’s about the balance.”
“When I think about protein, I’m going to talk about the biochemistry first,” Dr Patel says.
“Protein is a bit like Lego.
“You basically have these Lego pieces which are amino acids that are put together to form a beautiful design.
“Within those amino acids, some are non-essential and some are essential.
“This brings me back to the idea that protein is important because there’s essential amino acids that we can’t make from our body and we must get from our diet – protein is one of these multitasking nutrients.”
She explains how it’s involved in everything from protecting muscle mass – including during weight management – to providing building blocks for immune cells and neurotransmitters, which carry messages between nerve cells.
British food company Field Doctor science head and dietitian Laura Tilt explains that the recommended amount of protein intake is around 0.75g per kilogramme of body weight per day.
“Most people are eating over that amount – around 1.5g per kilo of body weight – but it will differ from person to person.”
With varying information and figures about protein consumption often found online, Dr Patel says it is understandable that people may feel confused.
“There are various conversations happening in the media that can get confusing and the amount is not black and white,” she says.
She adds that it’s not just about eating one big portion of protein, but spreading the intake throughout the day.
“It’s about finding that sweet spot, and that sweet spot exists even for protein intake.
“It’s not about overdoing it, you want to find the balance so that you are still able to bring in other key nutrients,” she says.
Dr Patel explains: “Fibre is a type of carbohydrate. It sits in the overall macronutrient of carbohydrate and it’s found in plant-based foods.
“It’s basically a nutrient that us as humans cannot fully digest.
“When we eat fibre, we don’t really just eat fibre for ourselves; we eat it for our gut microbiome, and in our gut microbiome are bacteria, viruses and fungi.
“The bacteria in our microbiome particularly love fibres – it’s like giving them their favourite thing.”
She compares the body to a hotel containing numerous guests.
“It’s this relationship between us and our guests.
“If we give them the food they really like, they will digest the fibre and produce what we call short-chain fatty acids.
“These then do a whole host of things for our hotel, such as keep it clean, reduce inflammation and help our mood.
“Fibre is really powerful because it indirectly helps us be healthier in the long run.”
Tilt adds: “It helps to feed the gut bacteria in our large intestine.
“It plays a role in satiety, so it helps us feel full after eating and it’s a short-term day-to-day thing to help prevent constipation because it helps bulk out and soften our stools.
“Longer term, it can help to reduce our risk of type two diabetes, heart disease and bowel cancer.”
“The recommendation for fibre intake is 30g a day,” Dr Patel says.
“Again, splitting that fibre up is recommended, otherwise it will impact your digestive health.”
However, many people are getting well below 30g.
“There’s a massive gap we need to fill.
“However, you also need to remember that with fibre, it’s slow and steady, it’s not about sprinting.
“If you’ve not been eating a lot of fibre, you need to make sure that you’re increasing it slowly so that your digestive system and gut bacteria can adjust.”
She adds: “Make sure you’re hydrated too.”
Fibre is primarily in pulses and legumes, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables.
“The big dent is in your wholegrains, and your lentils and pulses.
“If you want to bridge the gap and get foods with both protein and fibres, then the big thing is beans and legumes.
“They’re inexpensive, they contain per 100g, about eight or nine grammes of protein and about seven to eight grammes of fibre,” says Dr Patel.
“Blending some white beans into a pasta sauce or adding some lentils into a curry or bolognese – those small changes actually help bridge the gap between protein and fibre.” – By Sara Keenan/PA Media/dpa
