A nutritionist has urged the public to up their intake of 10 foods that she says are vital for reducing the risk of deadly colon cancer.
Incidences of the disease, which kills 17,000 per year in the UK, have surged by 52 per cent in under 50 year-olds over the last 30 years, studies show.
According to experts, much of this rise can be explained by a lack of fibre in modern diets.
Data from Cancer Research UK suggests that as many as one in three colorectal cancers — also called bowel cancers — may be linked with eating too little fibre.
Fibre, which is the part of plant-based foods that can’t be completely broken down by out guts, helps to regulate our digestive system and frequently expel harmful chemicals from the body.
‘When we have a slow digestive movement, we’re leaving toxins and unwanted products in the body for much longer than needed, which has been shown to contribute to bowel cancer risk,’ registered nutritionist Jenna Hope told The Telegraph.
Government guidelines recommend eating 30g of fibre per day — found in leafy green vegetables, pulses and wholegrains, per day.
However, recent figures suggest that the average Brit only eats around 18g daily.
Jenna Hope, Registered nutritionist and author of How To Stay Healthy has highlighted the foods that are highest in bowel-boosting fibre.
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While all fruits and vegetables are a source of fibre, some contain much more than others.
Ms Hope has pinpointed 10 foods that contain a large dose of fibre, and will help you reach your bowel-friendly recommended intake in no time.
Oats
It is the breakfast choice of at least one in ten of us every day.
Oats contain 9.1g of fibre per 100g — that’s 4.6g of fibre, or almost a sixth of your recommended daily intake, in a 50g bowl of porridge.
Porridge is a brilliant way to start the day because it is a good source of insoluble fibre.
This type of fibre can’t be absorbed into your body so it helps to keep bowel movements regular, Ms Hope explained.
Oats contain 9.1g of fibre per 100g and it is the breakfast choice of at least one in ten of us every day
Garden peas
Peas are an easy side on a weeknight dinner and to top it off they contain 5.6g of fibre per 100g — that’s 4.48g per three heaped tablespoons.
Peas, like oats, are high in insoluble fibre as well as being one of your five-a-day.
Ms Hope said, where possible, we should add pulses like chickpeas and butter beans to our dinner plates, as they are an easy way to boost the fibre in any meal.
Prunes
It’s no secret that prunes are full of fibre — in fact they contain 7.9g of fibre per 100g or around 5g per handful.
The fruit contains both soluble and insoluble fibre.
Soluble fibre is the type that binds with some of the water in the digestive tract and helps to bulk out stools, helping ease constipation, Ms Hope explained.
She added that although suddenly upping your fibre intake may make you feel bloated, research suggests prunes are easy for your system to tolerate following a long-term low-fibre diet.
Prunes contain 7.9g of fibre per 100g and that’s both soluble and insoluble fibre
Raspberries
Raspberries contain the most fibre of all berries with 5.4g in a punnet of around 20 berries.
Ms Hope suggested snacking on them if you don’t have time to cook and need to get a boost of fibre during the day.
Black beans
While all pulses are high in fibre, black beans are particularly abundant, with 10.3g per 100g.
That means you can consume more than 20g of fibre and two thirds of your daily intake by eating half a tin of beans.
These beans, often found in Mexican dishes like refried beans, contain around twice the fibre of red kidney beans and nearly three times as much as chickpeas.
Ms Hope added that the dark skins on black beans are rich in heart-healthy anthocyanins, which can help lower blood pressure.
Raspberries contain the most fibre of all berries with 6.8g per 100g. In fact, they contain more of it gram-for-gram than blueberries, blackberries, strawberries or cherries
Popcorn
It’s not just a snack for the cinema, popcorn is also rich in fibre with 4g per 25g serving.
A small, 25g portion of plain popcorn (roughly one packet) contains less that 120 calories, but more than an eighth of your recommended daily fibre intake.
But Ms Hope warned against buying a bag of microwave popcorn.
To avoid added salt and sugar, she advised buying the kernels and popping them in a pan on the hob yourself.
Almonds
Nuts and seeds are generally high in fibre, but almonds are among the best. A large handful contains 5.3g of fibre.
Ms Hope explained that the body does not absorb all of the calories in an almond if they are eaten whole, rather than sliced or ground.
That’s because they contain a high amount of fibre making them less digestible.
Chia Seeds
Just one tablespoon of health fad food chia seeds contains 4.8g of fibre.
Found in breakfast bowels and smoothies, the seeds can also be added to a bowl of porridge or wholegrain toast with peanut butter to boost fibre intake.
These seeds are great at absorbing water and help to bulk up stools, Ms Hope said.
However, she explained that blending them into a smoothie will break down some of the fibre and make it less beneficial for your gut.
Avocado contains 3.4g of fibre per 100g it also is high in healthy fats
Avocado
It’s high in fibre and healthy fats making it a brilliant food for keeping you full throughout the day, Ms Hope said.
It contains 3.4g of fibre per half an avocado.
‘The kinds of fibre found in foods high in fat, protein and carbohydrates are all different, and different types of fibre feed different types of bacteria in your gut,’ Ms Hope added.
Sweet potato
Made into mash, chips or wedges, sweet potatoes are another great way of adding fibre to your diet with around 6g in one potato.
Ms Hope said that it’s best to eat sweet potatoes with the skin on, perhaps as a jacket potatoe, as this is where most of the fibre is stored.
The root vegetable contains both insoluble and soluble fibre and research shows they are good at promoting the diversity of the gut microbiome.