IS ALL FIBRE CREATED EQUAL?

Lately, I’ve been seeing more and more “high-fibre” candies and ultra-processed products being promoted online, often by influencers claiming they’re a simple way to boost fibre intake.

And listen, I love that fibre is finally getting the attention it deserves (it might even be my favourite nutrient… but don’t tell the others). But this trend deserves a closer look.

As a quick refresher, the main sources of fibre are whole, plant-based foods: fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Fibre supports digestive health, helps stabilize blood sugar, and can play a role in lowering cholesterol. These benefits come from the whole package: not just fibre alone, but also the vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds that come with it.

Where things get a little questionable is with products that contain very high amounts of added fibre, especially when that fibre isn’t coming from whole foods.

If you take a look at the ingredient list, you’ll often see things like chicory root fibre or inulin. These are types of isolated fibres, usually extracted from plants (chicory root is a common source) and added into foods during processing. Technically, they are fibres, specifically soluble, fermentable fibres that can act as prebiotics and feed our gut bacteria.

However, they don’t quite function the same way as fibre naturally found in whole foods. They lack the full nutritional “package,” and in large amounts, they can cause digestive discomfort like bloating, gas, or cramping for many people. More importantly, relying on these products can shift focus away from building balanced meals with real, nourishing foods.

Polydextrose is another example. It is a synthetic soluble fibre made from glucose (it’s created through a manufacturing process rather than extracted directly from a whole food like chicory root) and is used to increase the fibre content of processed foods. While it tends to cause less bloating/gas for some people, it does not really provide any benefits to us. It may “count” as fibre on the label, but it doesn’t offer the same overall nutritional benefits as fibre from whole foods.

To put things into perspective, daily fibre recommendations are about 25 g for women and 38 g for men. Most Canadians are only getting around 12 g per day. So yes, there’s definitely room for improvement.

But when I hear someone say they’ve hit 40+ grams of fibre in a day, I get curious. And when it turns out that a big portion is coming from a bag of candy boasting “19 g of fibre,” it raises a red flag. Not because fibre is a problem, but because of where it’s coming from.

Many of these products aren’t “bad,” but they’re ''engineered'' foods with fibre added in to boost numbers, not necessarily to replace the benefits of whole foods. Seeing “chicory root fibre” or “inulin” high up on the ingredient list is usually your clue.

Fibre is important: but how we get it matters just as much.