Fibre offers a proven way to support satiety and manage weight. That’s why it is becoming an essential part of future food solutions.
Overweight is a growing health challenge
Overweight is one of the fastest-growing health challenges, with effects visible at both the societal and individual levels. Healthcare costs are rising, work productivity is declining and quality of life is deteriorating. Weight control is already one of consumers’ biggest health concerns, and if the problem of overweight continues to grow at the predicted rate, its significance will become even more pronounced in the future.
While medical innovations offer new ways to treat obesity and control weight, they are no substitute for the foundation provided by diet. Recommendations for treating obesity emphasise the key role of diet in weight control. Scientific evidence indicates that eating foods rich in fibre correlates with lower weight gain in adults.
Benefits of fibre
According to nutrition recommendations, fibre has a long list of benefits. At the population level, adequate fibre intake is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. A diet rich in fibre reduces the risk of constipation, supports the well-being of the gut microbiota and promotes weight control.
Despite its numerous benefits, fibre intake is low. In Finland, 70 per cent of adults are not getting enough fibre, and in most countries the situation is even more worrying.
With daily physical activity decreasing, there is a need for foods that keep hunger at bay without providing large amounts of energy. Fibre can be a key part of the solution to this problem. Fibre affects the body’s hunger and satiety signals through several mechanisms: it slows down gastric emptying and helps regulate blood sugar levels. Certain fibre compounds also affect the formation of satiety hormones – the same biological regulatory mechanism that anti-obesity drugs target.
Why is fibre research still needed?
Dietary fibre encompasses a range of different fibre compounds with varying structures and functional properties. When developing fibre solutions, it is therefore important to consider not only quantity but also quality. The structure of fibre affects how it works in the body and how it behaves in food.
In order to increase fibre intake at the population level, solutions are needed that are widely applicable to different product categories without compromising the taste or texture of the end product. Advancing scientific knowledge and translating it into practical applications plays a key role in developing effective products that appeal to consumers.
By investing in research and transforming scientific knowledge into tested concepts and food solutions, Raisio wants to contribute to people’s well-being in a way that is sustainable and takes consumer preferences into account.
