Wholegrains, fibre and cancer risk

What is a wholegrain?

Grains are the seeds of cereal plants.

Wholegrains and wholegrain products are made from the entire grain. Refined (processed) grains are missing part of the grain. This creates the whiter grains seen in white bread, white rice, and white pasta.

Most of the nutrients and fibre are found in these removed parts. This means that wholegrains are naturally more nutritious and are higher in fibre than refined grains. Wholegrains are things like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, oats and wholegrain bread.

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What is fibre?

Fibre is a type of carbohydrate (carb) that doesn’t easily break down, it moves through our gut into the bowel.  Fibre is found in plant-based foods like wholegrains, fruit, vegetables and pulses (such as beans or lentils).

Based on what we know so far, it seems the fibre from wholegrains is better at reducing cancer risk than fibre from other foods, such as fruits and vegetables. But it’s important to eat a variety of high-fibre foods as part of a healthy balanced diet.

How can I eat more fibre and wholegrains?

Having a diet high in fibre, and wholegrains in particular, can help to reduce your risk of cancer.

For more fibre and wholegrains try:

• Switching everyday foods such as bread, pasta or rice to their wholegrain or brown alternative.
   
• Starting with a high-fibre breakfast. Swap processed cereals for wholegrain versions like shredded whole wheat and bran cereals, or porridge oats.
   
• Having fruit and vegetables with every meal (they can be fresh, frozen or tinned).
   
• Eating the skin on veg such potatoes and carrots. This helps get the most fibre from your food.
   
• Using pulses such as lentils or beans in the place of some or all the meat in your favourite dishes. Check out our blog for more ideas.
   
• Adding in wholegrain or high-fibre snacks such as plain popcorn, fruit, nuts and seeds or whole wheat crackers.

How much fibre and wholegrains should I have?

The government recommends that adults have 30g of fibre each day. For most people, this means eating more portions of wholegrain foods, such as wholemeal toast (7g of fibre), wholegrain cereals (13-24.5g of fibre) and whole wheat pasta (4.2g of fibre).

Many products have labels showing how much fibre is in them. High-fibre products have 6g or more fibre per 100g.

When looking for wholegrains check for the word ‘whole’ before the name of the grain or product name, for example, ‘whole wheat pasta' or 'wholemeal bread'. Remember, all oats and brown rice are wholegrains.

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How can fibre reduce bowel cancer risk?

There are several ways that a high-fibre diet could reduce your risk of bowel cancer.

Fibre helps us to poo more often, increases the size of poos and dilutes their contents. This means harmful chemicals spend less time in the bowel.

When fibre meets the bacteria in the bowel, the bacteria make something called butyrate. Butyrate helps the cells in our bowel to stay healthy, so that tumours are less likely to develop.

Eating more fibre can also help you keep a healthy weight by feeling fuller for longer. Being a healthy weight not only cuts the risk of bowel cancer, but 12 other cancers too.

Should I take fibre supplements?

Fibre supplements may be useful for some people with certain medical conditions. But for most of us the best way to have more fibre is by making changes to our diet and eating more high-fibre foods, particularly wholegrains. The evidence so far has looked at the health benefits of fibre in what we eat, rather than in supplements.