The Importance of Fibre
Over the past decade, research has revealed just how crucial the gut (and the trillions of bacteria it houses) is to our overall health, influencing everything from digestion to immunity, mood, and metabolism.
Once thought to be a simple digestive tract, the gut is now known to host over 1,000 species of microorganisms collectively called the gut microbiome. These bacteria can either support or impair health, and fascinatingly, each person’s microbiome is entirely unique, even among identical twins.
The microbiome is linked to immune function, detoxification, vitamin and energy production, digestion, and protection against disease. It also influences mental health through the gut-brain axis, which connects gut bacteria to mood and emotional wellbeing.
Emerging evidence even shows that the microbiome affects weight regulation by influencing both how much energy we absorb and how much we expend. In short, the gut plays a central role in nearly every aspect of health.
Small changes in diet, lifestyle, and exercise can significantly improve gut health, but first, let’s look at what can harm it.
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Processed foods
Not only are refined, processed, junk foods catastrophic for your general health and body weight, but also your gut.
These foods are rich in sugar and saturated fats, and void of fibre and nutrients. This triggers inflammation and can decrease the beneficial bacteria that inhabit the gut, so the balance shifts to pathogenic bacteria that can wreak havoc.
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Artificial sweeteners
Recent studies have shown that regular consumption of foods and drinks that contain artificial sweeteners can negatively impact the gut microbiome, particularly sucralose and saccarin.
Foods and drinks sweetened with artificial sweeteners could be considered a better alternative to sugar sweetened foods and drinks, but they are still no good for your gut and best limited.
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Chronic stress
Stress can negatively impact the gut, with stress hormones increasing gut motility, triggering diarrhea. Stress can also completely reshape the gut microbiota in favour of damaging, pathogenic species.
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Poor sleep
Lack of sleep or even sufficient sleep but of poor quality can also negatively affect the gut microbiome.
Now things you can do to help your gut:
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Diet diversity
A healthy gut thrives on diversity. The greater the variety of plant foods you eat, the more diverse and beneficial your gut bacteria becomes. Unfortunately, modern diets rely heavily on ultra-processed foods made from a limited number of crops - around 75% of the world’s food supply comes from just 12 plant and 5 animal species.
The B.fresh complete UPF-free meals range was created to reverse that trend. Each recipe combines a variety of whole plant ingredients - beans, lentils, spinach, tomatoes, herbs, spices, and more, offering an easy way to add 10–15 plant types per meal. The Mexican Bean Chilli, for example, contains red kidney beans, black beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes, onions, and peppers - each one feeding a different group of beneficial microbes.
Aim to enjoy around 30 different plant foods per week. With B.fresh meals, smoothies, and shots, you’ll hit that target without even thinking about it.
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Full on fibre
Fibre is one of the most powerful tools for gut health, it acts as “fertiliser” for your beneficial bacteria. When fibre reaches the large intestine, it’s fermented into short-chain fatty acids that protect the gut lining and reduce inflammation.
B.fresh meals naturally deliver a rich mix of soluble and insoluble fibre from beans, lentils, chickpeas, spinach, and vegetables. The Turmeric Lentil Daal, for example, provides soluble fibre from lentils to nourish bacteria, while vegetables and spices add insoluble fibre to support digestion and regularity.
Most adults fall short of the 30g daily target, averaging closer to 20g. A single B.fresh meal can contribute a third of your daily fibre needs, making it simple to close the “fibre gap.”
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Polyphenol power
Polyphenols are the colourful antioxidants that give plants their deep hues - and your gut bacteria love them. They act as prebiotics, feeding good bacteria while protecting them from oxidative stress.
Every B.fresh meal is packed with naturally colourful ingredients, from the red peppers and tomatoes in the Spanish-Style Spinach & Chickpeas, to the turmeric and ginger in the Lentil Daal, and the rainbow of beans in the Mexican Chilli. These plant pigments aren’t just pretty, they’re powerful protectors for your gut and overall health.
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Probiotic support
While fibre and polyphenols feed your bacteria, probiotics add more of them. Many probiotic supplements, however, fail to survive the stomach’s acidity. B.fresh addresses this through it's Gut Health smoothies, which use Bacillus coagulans - a spore-forming strain that survives digestion and becomes active in the gut.
When you combine the B.fresh healthy meals with probiotic shots, you’re creating the perfect symbiosis: fibre and polyphenols feed the bacteria, and probiotics replenish them.
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Turmeric and Ginger
Both turmeric and ginger are signature ingredients across the B.fresh range, found in meals like the Turmeric Lentil Daal and in shots such as the Ginger+ and Turmeric Immunity.
The active compound in turmeric, curcumin, helps reduce inflammation and oxidative stress while supporting a balanced microbiome. Meanwhile, ginger aids digestion and helps reduce bloating by improving gut motility. Together, they’re nature’s gut-soothing duo.
Concluding Remarks
Your gut doesn’t need magic pills - it needs plants. A diet rich in natural, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, legumes, herbs, and spices, like those found in the B.fresh meals, feeds your gut bacteria, strengthens your intestinal barrier, and supports digestion, mood, and overall health.
Each B.fresh meal is free from ultra-processed ingredients, yet full of flavour, fibre, and colour, making it effortless to nourish your gut daily. Pair them with the B.fresh juices or probiotic shots for the ultimate “grateful gut” routine.
-- Written By Expert Nutritionist Matt Jones
