Why Fibre Matters More After 40
← Back to Learn · By Kathryn Carter · Last updated: 16 August 2026
Fibre is the least glamorous thing in your diet and one of the few where almost everyone is genuinely short.
The Australian adequate intake for adult women is 25 grams a day. Most Australian women don't reach it. And in midlife, the reasons to close that gap multiply.
How much you need, and how far off most of us are
The NHMRC sets the adequate intake for dietary fibre at 25g per day for women across every adult age bracket.
Twenty-five grams is more food than it sounds. It's not one apple and a slice of wholemeal toast. It's a genuinely fibre-forward day, every day.
Why fibre matters more after 40
Digestion slows. Gut transit time tends to lengthen with age, and hormonal changes through perimenopause affect gut motility too. Constipation becomes more common, and more persistent.
Blood sugar control changes. Insulin sensitivity often declines in midlife. Soluble fibre slows the absorption of sugars from a meal, which smooths out the peaks and troughs — and those troughs are often what's driving the 3pm biscuit.
Fullness gets harder to come by. Fibre adds bulk and slows stomach emptying. When you're eating less than you used to, fibre is doing a lot of the work of feeling satisfied.
Your gut bacteria need feeding. Certain fibres are fermented by gut bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids, which support the gut lining. Your microbiome shifts with age and with falling oestrogen, and fibre is the main lever you have over it.
Cholesterol. Soluble fibre binds bile acids and contributes to healthy cholesterol levels — which matters more after menopause, when cardiovascular risk profile changes.
The three types, and what each does
Most people know "soluble and insoluble". It's more useful to think in three groups.
Insoluble fibre — wheat bran, vegetable skins, nuts. Adds bulk and speeds transit. This is the one people mean when they say "roughage". Too much too fast is also the one most likely to cause discomfort.
Soluble fibre — oats, psyllium, legumes, apples. Forms a gel in water. Slows digestion, supports fullness and blood sugar, softens stool.
Prebiotic and fermentable fibre — partially hydrolysed guar gum (PHGG), acacia gum, resistant starch, inulin. Feeds gut bacteria specifically. Worth knowing that these are not interchangeable: inulin and chicory root ferment quickly and produce a lot of gas, which is why some people react badly to them. PHGG and acacia ferment more slowly and are generally better tolerated.
If fibre supplements have disagreed with you before, the type is usually the reason — not fibre itself.
Food first: where to actually find 25 grams
| Food | Serve | Fibre |
|---|---|---|
| Cooked lentils | 1 cup | ~8 g |
| Chickpeas | 1 cup | ~8 g |
| Rolled oats | 1 cup cooked | ~4 g |
| Wholegrain bread | 2 slices | ~4 g |
| Pear, with skin | 1 medium | ~4 g |
| Apple, with skin | 1 medium | ~3 g |
| Raspberries | ½ cup | ~4 g |
| Almonds | 30g | ~3 g |
| Chia seeds | 1 tbsp | ~5 g |
| Broccoli | 1 cup cooked | ~5 g |
| Sweet potato, with skin | 1 medium | ~4 g |
| Avocado | ½ | ~5 g |
Legumes are the fastest route. One cup of lentils is a third of your day.
If you're increasing fibre, do it slowly
This is the part almost nobody says out loud, and it's why most people abandon fibre.
Increasing fibre quickly usually feels worse before it feels better. Gas, bloating and discomfort in the first week or two are common as your gut bacteria adjust. That's not a sign it isn't working, and it isn't a reason to stop — but it is a reason to build up gradually rather than doubling your intake on a Monday.
Add roughly 5 grams a week. Drink more water as you go — fibre without adequate fluid makes constipation worse, not better. Give any change three to four weeks before you judge it.
If discomfort is severe or persistent, or if you have a diagnosed gut condition like IBS, talk to your GP or a dietitian before making big changes.
What to look for in a fibre supplement
A supplement is a top-up. Food should still be doing most of the work.
Know what type you're getting. "Fibre supplement" tells you nothing. PHGG, acacia, psyllium, inulin and resistant starch behave quite differently.
Check the actual fibre per serve, not the powder weight. They're not the same number.
Look for well-tolerated fibres if you've reacted to supplements before.
Unflavoured is more useful than it sounds — it means you can add it to anything without committing to a taste.
Be sceptical of big promises. Fibre is a nutrient, not a treatment.
Where MyPause Gentle Fibre Support fits
Gentle Fibre Support is a daily fibre powder in single-serve sachets, designed to support everyday fibre intake.
Each 5g sachet provides 3.6g of dietary fibre from three sources:
- Partially hydrolysed guar gum (PHGG) — a soluble, slowly fermented prebiotic fibre
- Acacia gum — another slowly fermented prebiotic, generally well tolerated
- Resistant starch (from potato) — passes to the large intestine where it's fermented by gut bacteria
Unflavoured, so it mixes into water, a shake or a smoothie without changing the taste.
Being straight about the number. 3.6g is about 14% of the 25g daily adequate intake. This is a top-up designed to sit alongside a fibre-forward diet, not to replace one. Anything claiming to solve your fibre intake in a single small sachet is overstating it.
The reason it's called Gentle is the fibre selection: PHGG and acacia ferment more slowly than inulin or chicory root, which is why they tend to suit people who haven't got on with fibre supplements before. Even so, build up gradually.
Not suitable for infants, children, or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Packed in Australia from imported ingredients.
Explore Gentle Fibre Support →
Common questions
How much fibre should a woman have per day in Australia?
The NHMRC adequate intake is 25 grams a day for adult women. Most Australian women fall short of it.
Why does fibre make me feel bloated at first?
Increasing fibre quickly gives your gut bacteria more to ferment than they're used to, which produces gas. It usually settles within a few weeks. Building up by about 5 grams a week and increasing your fluid intake makes a substantial difference.
What's the difference between PHGG and psyllium?
Psyllium is a bulking soluble fibre — it forms a gel and adds volume. PHGG is a prebiotic soluble fibre that's fermented slowly by gut bacteria. Psyllium is more about bulk and transit; PHGG is more about feeding the microbiome. Some people tolerate one better than the other.
Is resistant starch the same as fibre?
It behaves like one. Resistant starch isn't digested in the small intestine, so it reaches the large intestine intact where gut bacteria ferment it.
Can I just eat more fibre instead of supplementing?
Yes, and food should be the foundation — whole foods bring vitamins, minerals and plant compounds a supplement doesn't. A supplement is useful for closing a consistent gap.