Fibre is the winter health habit we’re all overlooking

The cough from the back of the bus. The child who comes home from school insisting they’re “fine” while looking anything but. From autumn through to February, winter bugs have a way of becoming everybody’s business. But while we can’t control who sneezes next to us, we can pay attention to the everyday habits that support our health.

In a survey of 2,000 UK adults commissioned by UNROOTED, 55% said they think about vitamin C when trying to support their immune health*. Just 16% think about getting enough fibre. Yet a varied, fibre-rich diet helps look after the gut, where food, microbes and the immune system interact. 

Sure, it won’t make you immune to the office cold, but fibre deserves a place in the winter conversation. Here’s why. 

Why fibre matters in cough-and-cold season

Adults are advised to aim for around 30g of fibre a day. Beans, pulses, wholegrains, fruit and vegetables are good places to get it. Some types of fibre feed gut bacteria, and the gut microbiome interacts with the immune system. The science is interesting, but it doesn’t show that eating baobab will prevent a cold.

As registered dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine shares: “There isn’t a magic ingredient that stops you getting ill, but eating well, sleeping adequately and supporting gut health with a varied, fibre-rich diet are sensible foundations.” That sounds considerably more useful than holding your breath when someone coughs on the train.

A small addition to the breakfast you already eat

Baobab fruit pulp contains both soluble and insoluble fibre. Studies of dried pulp have measured roughly 52g of total fibre per 100g, although the amount varies between samples. 

The figure that matters at breakfast is smaller and more practical: one UNROOTED Good Fibre Baobab Sachet contains 6g of baobab fruit powder and provides 3.2g of fibre. Stir it into porridge or yoghurt, blend it into a smoothie or shake it into water. It adds fibre to the meal; whether the whole meal counts as “high fibre” depends on what else is in it.

The sachets are Mumsnet Rated. In the product test**, 80% of testers said they’d recommend them to friends or family. Convenience was the most selected feature in the feedback: in fact, 61 of 95 testers chose the single-serve sachets. Another 56 said the product helped them increase their fibre intake, while 55 chose “easy to use”.

Tester Eurovision admitted: “Really surprised by how good these were. Thought it was a gimmick but great in my overnight oats.” And another user summed up the appeal rather neatly: “Smug about how easy it is to get extra fibre!” 

So if you’re looking for a manageable way to put more fibre into the food you already eat, UNROOTED’s products are ones to consider.

📣 Get 25% off your first order at UNROOTED with code MUMSNET252. The range is also available from Boots, Holland & Barrett, Ocado and Amazon.

About UNROOTED

UNROOTED is proud to champion wild-harvested baobab fruit and support the ecosystems and communities where they come from. By including baobab in every product UNROOTED makes, UNROOTED is bringing the goodness of the wild to people’s everyday lives, nutritionally and sustainably.

*Survey figures come from research commissioned by UNROOTED among 2,000 UK adults.

**June 2026 product test whose participants received free sachets.