A nutrition expert has shared a surprising fibre-rich snack that could help slash your risk of heart disease and other serious health issues. Professor Tim Spector named a number of foods you should consider adding to your diet in order to meet your daily fibre needs.

In a recent revelation, a leading nutrition expert has identified a fiber-rich snack that might significantly lower the risk of heart disease and other severe health conditions. Professor Tim Spector, an esteemed epidemiologist and the founder of Zoe Health, highlighted several foods that could help you achieve your daily fiber intake goals.

Through a video shared on his Instagram account, Prof. Spector cautioned that many individuals are falling short in their fiber consumption. Known as roughage, dietary fiber is the non-digestible part of plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.

This essential nutrient passes largely unchanged through the digestive system, benefiting digestion, enhancing bowel health, and regulating blood sugar levels. Prof. Spector posed a crucial question: “Are you getting enough fiber?”

He revealed that “over 90% of adults in the US and UK are not consuming sufficient fiber, leading to a significant decline in the human gut microbiome.”

He emphasized, “Fiber is vital not only for maintaining gut health but also for decreasing the risk of diseases like diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.”

Prof. Spector referred to a recent meta-analysis involving more than 8,000 adults, which indicated that a mere increase of five grams of fiber per day could reduce the risk of heart disease by approximately 14%. Achieving the suggested 30 grams of daily fiber is simpler than one might expect, especially by incorporating the high-fiber foods featured in his video.”

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According to Prof Spector, this provides an impressive 14.5 grams of fibre per 100g. This is supported by information from the American Heart Association, which says that lightly-seasoned popcorn could be considered a healthy snack.

It notes on its website: “When it’s air-popped and lightly seasoned, popcorn is an efficiently healthy snack. That’s because it is a whole grain, and high-fibre whole grains have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and other health problems.”

This means avoiding popcorn that comes with lots of added sugar or a buttery topping.

Other foods listed by Prof Spector for their fibre content include:

• Avocados: 3.4g/100g
• Kidney Beans: 9.6g/100g
• Artichoke hearts: 3.6g/100g
• Mushy peas: 3.9g/100g
• Raspberries: 5.2g/100g
• Wholewheat pasta: 3.8g/100g

One of the studies referenced by Prof Spector was published in BMC Medicine in 2022. It found that high fibre diets reduced “all-cause mortality” and was associated with lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels.

The study authors wrote: “These findings emphasise the likely benefits of promoting greater dietary fibre intakes for patients with cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Further trials and cohort analyses in this area would increase confidence in these results.”

The NHS website states that eating plenty of fibre is associated with a “lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer”. It also recommends that adults eat at least 30g of fibre per day but that most of us are only eating about 20g.