New Hovis Research Shows That Two-thirds of UK Adults Don't Eat Enough Fibre With Half Saying They're Confused About How Much They Should Eat

-  Research suggests UK is missing out on the full benefits a high fibre diet can bring to gut and heart health, despite high-profile campaigns to urge greater consumption

HIGH WYCOMBE, England, Feb. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- New research^[1] (conducted among 2,064 UK adults) reveals UK adults are confused about how much fibre they should be eating despite high-profile campaigns to get people to boost fibre intake.

The report, from Hovis®, finds 89% of UK adults say they recognise that eating fibre each day is important, with just 2% saying it doesn't matter to them. The research reveals that 79% correctly identify that fibre helps digestive health, with more than a third (38%) also recognising it can help maintain normal blood cholesterol levels.

Despite this, just 38% of UK adults say they ensure their diet is high in fibre, regardless of the wealth of scientific evidence pointing to the health benefits that fibre brings. Meanwhile, when asked how much fibre they consumed each day, one-in-four UK adults (24%) say they simply don't know.

The research reveals confusion about how much fibre we need, with half of those surveyed saying they don't know how much fibre the average adult should eat each day, and just 14% correctly identifying that the daily target is 30g^[2].

Jeremy Gibson, Marketing Director at Hovis® commented: "There are numerous studies showing the benefits of eating fibre, yet people are still failing to eat enough of it.

"At Hovis® we are determined to help reverse this trend and get the UK into better shape. We are working with registered dietitian, Sarah Almond Bushell, and other experts, to provide information, recipes and advice to help the UK improve its diet.

"It's not difficult to boost fibre intake and consuming enough fibre can help with digestive health, and maintain normal cholesterol levels."

Daily fibre intake for a healthy balanced diet:

Source: British Dietetic Association

^[1] Research conducted nationwide using an online methodology by Populus Data Solutions for Hovis Limited between 13 – 15 December 2019 among 2,064 UK adults.

^[2] 2016 publication Government Dietary Recommendations  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide