Archive · 29 Jan 2026
Experts Push for Dietary Fibre as Essential Nutrient
Nutrition experts want dietary fibre to be officially recognized as an essential nutrient, like vitamins and minerals.
They say fibre is crucial for our gut health and can help prevent many diseases.
Currently, most people don't eat enough fibre, which is about 25-38 grams per day.
If fibre becomes essential, it could lead to better food labels, healthier products, and fewer people getting sick from chronic diseases.
The experts believe that fibre meets all the criteria for being essential, especially because it helps our gut microbes stay healthy.
Nutrition experts argue that dietary fibre should be recognized as an essential nutrient due to its health benefits and reliance by the gut microbiome.
Current global dietary guidelines recommend at least 25 grams of fibre per day, but most populations consume less than this.
Recognizing fibre as essential could lead to stronger dietary guidelines, clearer food labelling, and healthier food products.
Fibre is linked to reduced risks of chronic diseases, improved digestive health, and better metabolic regulation.
The push for essential nutrient status is based on substantial evidence showing fibre's critical benefits across multiple body systems.
- Who
- Nutrition experts from the University of Otago (New Zealand) and the University of Dundee (UK)
- What
- Are advocating for dietary fibre to be recognized as an essential nutrient
- When
- The push is based on recent research and evidence
- Where
- The research was published in Nature Food
- Why
- To transform dietary guidance, public health policy, and food labelling, and to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases
- Recommended Daily Fibre Intake
- 25-38 grams for adults
- Average Fibre Intake in Western Nations
- 17 grams per day
- Key Benefits of Fibre
- Reduced risk of chronic diseases, improved digestive health, better metabolic regulation
- Criteria for Essential Nutrients
- Beneficial to health, not produced by the body, absence causes measurable harm
- Potential Impact of Recognition
- Stronger dietary guidelines, clearer food labelling, reduced chronic disease burden