26th Apr 2018 - 07:00
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Abstract
The average adult Brit has an intake of 18g of fibre a day, much less than the 30g recommended, according to Public Health England’s latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey.
Only 10% of 1.5 - 10 year olds met the AOAC fibre recommendation, dropping to 4% for those aged 11 - 18 years.
Just 9% of adults (19 - 64) and 7% of adults aged 65 years and over met the recommendation.
‘Cereals and cereal products’ were the main source of AOAC fibre, ranging from 38% to 44% of intake across the age groups, followed by ‘vegetables and potatoes’ (21% to 32%) and ‘fruit’ (6% to 16%).
A low fibre intake is associated with constipation and gut diseases such as bowel cancer.
The recommended daily amounts of fibre for children are: 15g a day for those aged 2-5 years, 20 a day for children aged 5-11 years, 25g a day for children aged 11-16 years and 30g a day for adolescents aged 16-18 years.
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