Importance of dietary fibre, strategies for increasing intake and maintenance of the supply chain in the UK

Currently, dietary fibre intakes within UK populations are far below those recommended for reducing chronic disease risk. Dietary fibre is present predominantly in plant-based foods and is not digested or absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract, passing to the colon where it may be fermented by the gut microbiota. Types, contents and properties (notably solubility, viscosity and fermentability) of fibre vary considerably between food sources, which may result in different effects on human physiology. There is strong evidence for the benefits of dietary fibre, particularly cereal fibre and wholegrain, in reducing the risk of cardiometabolic diseases and colorectal cancer by increasing faecal mass, fermentation to short-chain fatty acids, lowering blood lipids and improving glycaemic control. There is, therefore, an urgent need to develop effective strategies to increase the intake of dietary fibre across the UK population. Here, we consider strategies comprising better nutritional education, public health messaging, more informative and effective food labelling, food reformulation, food fortification and biofortification, policy change and maintenance of the supply chain. Engagement of multiple stakeholders within the food system in this common ambition is essential for success. This requires transformation of the UK food system to ensure the sustainable availability of palatable, affordable, fibre-rich foods, ideally accompanied by individual motivation for dietary change.This article is part of the theme issue 'Transforming terrestrial food systems for human and planetary health'.