Fibre May Be More Foundational Than the Protein We Never Stop Talking About

By Tina Chagoury, Clinical Dietitian · 5 min read · 2026-10-26

I talk about protein constantly. Fibre is arguably more foundational, and almost nobody is getting enough of it.

I talk about protein constantly, and I stand by that. But fibre is extremely important, and in some respects more foundational than the protein we discuss all the time.

Almost nobody is getting enough of it.

What fibre actually does

It carries used hormones out of the body

This is the connection most women have never heard, and it is the one that matters most for hormonal health.

Once your body has finished with a hormone, oestrogen in particular, the liver processes it and sends it into the digestive tract for elimination. Fibre binds it and carries it out.

Without adequate fibre, and without regular elimination, that load can be reabsorbed and re-enter circulation.

This is precisely why chronic constipation is a hormonal issue and not only a digestive one.

It slows glucose absorption

Fibre forms a physical barrier that slows the absorption of sugars, which reduces the glucose peak after a meal and the fall that follows it.

It feeds the gut microbiome

Certain fibres are fermented by gut bacteria, producing compounds that support the gut lining and reduce inflammation. The composition of your microbiome is substantially determined by what you feed it.

It produces genuine satiety

Fibre adds volume and slows gastric emptying. Women consistently underestimate how much it matters to actually feel full, and how much of the constant food noise disappears when you do.

Where to actually get it

Not from a supplement first. From food:

• Vegetables, in genuine quantity, at lunch and dinner
• Pulses. Chickpeas, lentils and beans. These are traditional foods in this region and they are excellent.
• Whole fruit, eaten whole rather than juiced. Juicing removes the fibre and concentrates the sugar, which is exactly why detox juices work against you.
• Nuts and seeds. Seeds are rich in minerals and fibre and genuinely matter for hormonal balance.
• Whole grains, including good sourdough if you eat bread.

The reason traditional eating patterns do well here

When I compare regional cuisines, the ones that perform best on fibre are the ones that never stopped eating vegetables, pulses and olive oil together: tagine and couscous with vegetables, chickpeas in the couscous, chickpeas in soup.

That is not nostalgia. It is a genuinely better fibre profile than most modern eating patterns.

How to increase it without causing problems

Gradually. A sudden large increase in someone with an unhappy gut produces bloating and discomfort, and they conclude fibre does not suit them.

With water. Fibre without adequate hydration makes constipation worse rather than better. These two go together and neither works alone.

With attention to type. If you have significant gut symptoms, irritable bowel syndrome or suspected SIBO, some fibres will be poorly tolerated and a structured low FODMAP approach for a defined period may be more appropriate. That is a temporary diagnostic tool, not a permanent way of eating.

The simple version

Vegetables at lunch and dinner. Pulses several times a week. Whole fruit rather than juice. Nuts and seeds. Enough water to move it all.

If you do that, most of the rest takes care of itself.

This article is nutrition education, not medical advice.

Tina Chagoury is a licensed clinical dietitian specialising in women's hormonal health and gut health, and the creator of the Hormone Reset Method™. Learn more and start here.