Gut Health: Fibre, Prebiotics, and Polyphenols

The dietary foundations for good gut health include adequate fibre, prebiotics, and polyphenols.

Fibre

Fibre is important. It helps keep our gut healthy, which has a positive knock on effect to other systems in body including cardio metabolic.

The Ministry of Health recommmends that adult women need at least 25 g of fibre a day and men need at least 30 g. The fact is, a large portion of the population are not meeting these daily requirements.

There are different types of fibre: soluble, soluble, prebiotic

(Hechtman, 2025)

Fibre helps improve satiety, motility patterns as well as feed beneficial bacteria in the gut, which produce short chain fatty acids, lower inflammation, and modulate the immune and metabolic system. Fibre can also help increase mucus membrane secretion, protecting gut barrier function, which also helps immune function.

Prebiotic Fibre

There are many types of prebiotic fibre - all of which modulate and improve the microbiome helping increase beneficial bacteria and reduce pathogenic bacteria.

(Hechtman, 2025)

Benefits of Prebiotic Fibre

(Scott et al., 2020)

Polyphenols

Polyphenols are phytochemicals found in plant foods (e.g. berries, cocoa, green tea, turmeric). Polyphenols are antiinflammatory and antioxidants. They also modulate and improve our gut microbiome, increasing beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacterium spp. akkermansia spp, and lactobacillus spp.. They support the health of barrier function and help it specifically reduce pathogenic bacteria growth.

Foods that heal

(Hechtman, 2025)

Eating mostly wholefoods and eating a diverse range of plants is one of the best ways to access fibre, prebiotics, and polyphenols. By doing so we can protect and improve not only our gut health but health overall.

NOTE:

If fibre causes more digestive issues, it is important to address the root cause and work with a practitioner. Some of the underlying issues may include SIBO, dysbiosis, and thyroid issues. In these circumstances, specialised therapeutic care may be required.

Wanting to learn more?

---> join our monthly live fireside chat (last saturday of the month at 12pm). Subscribers to the Wellkind newsletter get free access.

---> for more personalised support, schedule a 1:1 vitality strategy call here