Making Fibre a Focus For Children

A healthy diet in childhood with adequate amounts of all nutrients, is essential for optimal health, growth and development. The importance of vitamins and minerals in childhood is well-recognised, but fibre is often overlooked¹. Evidence clearly shows that fibre is a nutrient of concern for all ages, and the gap between fibre recommendations and intakes needs to be addressed.

Dietary fibre benefits gut health, but it also helps maintain healthy blood glucose and lipid levels. In addition, fibre may contribute to satiety – a matter of huge significance, given the high prevalence of obesity in children.¹

Fibre recommendations vs intake in children

The World Health Organisation² recommends that adults should have a minimum of 25g of fibre per day. For children, guidance on fibre intakes varies, largely extrapolated from adult recommendations with a general recommendation of “age +5 g”, so an 11 year old would require 11 + 5 g = 16g fibre per day.³ The dietary fibre recommendations for children in the UK are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Fibre recommendations for UK children⁴

There is clearly some way to go to meet the recommended amounts. The latest UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey⁵ showed that just 4% of 11–18 year-olds consumed enough fibre; teenage boys were consuming 16g of fibre per day on average, which is only 53% of the target.

Population recommendations for dietary fibre were typically based on the amount required to maintain normal bowel movements and cardiovascular health. Now, it is becoming clear that the benefits of fibre go beyond this to encompass gut microbiome modulation, immune support, bone health and wider/broader metabolic health.

Fibre and children’s health

Research in adults has shown that eating enough fibre can help to keep the digestive system healthy, but may also help to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers, including colon cancer by up to 30%.⁶ Whilst there are fewer studies in children and adolescents, reviews have shown that there is some potential role for fibre in gut function, metabolic health, cardiovascular health, immune function, body composition and bone health.¹ As well as reporting positive health associations, observational studies typically show that children with higher dietary fibre intakes are more likely to have a better diet quality overall.⁷

Where to find fibre

Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that isn’t broken down in the gut, so it reaches the large intestine (colon) undigested. We typically think of plant foods for our fibre, which includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, pulses and wholegrains. However, fungi also contain dietary fibre, and mycoprotein - a sustainably produced, protein-rich, whole food source derived from the fermentation of fungus - is also a good source of fibre.

Does the type of fibre matter?

Several types of fibre can be found in different amounts in different foods, exerting a range of actions on the body. Typically, fibres have been characterised as either soluble or insoluble fibre:

• Insoluble fibre - found in wholewheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, beans and vegetables such as cauliflower, potatoes with skins and broccoli - adds bulk to stools and promotes the movement of material through the gut.

• Soluble fibre ‘dissolves’ in water, forming a viscous gel-like substance and includes pectins and beta-glucans (β-glucans). It can impact blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Oats, barley, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits and carrots all provide soluble fibre.

There is now research to suggest that fibre should be further categorised by its physical properties - not just its solubility, but also by its viscosity and fermentability.⁸ This could mean describing fibre by types such as cellulose, beta-glucans, pectins, inulin, galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and resistant starch.

A current hot topic is the potential role for fibre in a healthy gut microbiome. Some types of highly fermentable fibre– including resistant starch and prebiotics - can influence the types and amounts of bacteria in the gut microbiota. The breakdown of fibre in the gut creates short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) which are a source of fuel (food) for the gut cells keeping the gut lining healthy. It is the protective effect on the gut barrier, which helps keep pathogens and allergens out of the body.

Since there are different types of fibre, exerting differing health effects, dietitians advise eating a diverse variety of fibre-containing foods to provide the greatest health benefits.

Quorn mycoprotein is high in fibre, containing 6g fibre per 100g. The fibre in mycoprotein is 80% beta-glucan, and the remainder is chitin.