The organisation also says fibre can help you to feel full, which helps prevent overeating. This can help you maintain a healthy weight, which is good for blood pressure, blood sugar control and cholesterol management.
It explains: “Certain soluble fibres form a gel-like substance in the gut. This includes the fibre in oats, barley and pulses.
“It helps delay or reduce certain nutrients from being absorbed into your blood, such as sugar and fats including cholesterol.”
It adds: “Some types of fibre provide food for ‘friendly’ gut bacteria. This encourages the bacteria to thrive and produce substances which are thought to be protective for heart health. These can have a number of benefits such as helping to lower cholesterol.”