You Can't Feed a Tiger with Toothpaste… So Why Are You Feeding Your Gut Like That? The importance of dietary fibre for gut health
"Yesterday, a gentleman walked into the Fermentary. Lovely chap. He told me he had diverticular disease and asked, 'How many days before Tibico fixes me?' I asked him what he'd eaten yesterday. By the end of the conversation, we'd spent twenty minutes talking about vegetables, not fermented drinks. That's because I'd rather lose a sale than pretend Tibico can replace a diet your gut bacteria have been crying out to improve."
Why fibre is the forgotten hero of gut health - and why Tibico works best when your gut bacteria are actually fed
Every day at Tibico Fermentary we receive messages from customers asking the same question.
"I've started drinking Tibico. How many days before I feel better?"
It's a perfectly reasonable question.
But it's a little like asking...
"I've just put premium fuel into my car. How long before the bald tyres become new?"
Or...
"I've watered my tomato plant. How long before I win Best in Show at Chelsea Flower Show?"
Or perhaps my favourite analogy...
Can you feed a tiger with toothpaste?
Of course you can't.
Because living things need the food they evolved to eat.
Oddly enough, exactly the same is true for the trillions of bacteria living inside your gut.
Yet every week we meet people hoping one bottle of fermented drink will undo years - sometimes decades - of feeding those bacteria everything except the one thing they actually depend on.
Dietary fibre.
Not steak.
Not burgers.
Not beer.
Not crisps.
Not ultra-processed food.
Fibre.
Vegetables.
Fruit.
Beans.
Lentils.
Whole grains.
Nuts.
Seeds.
The colourful foods many of us promise to start eating...
...next Monday.
The Conversation We Have Almost Every Day
The conversations are remarkably similar.
"I've got IBS."
"I've got diverticular disease."
"I'm constipated."
"I'm always bloated."
"I've got a big tummy."
"My cholesterol is high."
"My blood pressure keeps creeping up."
"I snore."
"I have a daily cough and phlegm in my throat"
Then comes the question.
"How long before Tibico fixes me?"
Before answering, I nearly always ask another question.
"Tell me what you ate yesterday."
Breakfast?
Cereal and fruit juice
Pastry
Or nothing.
Lunch?
A white bread sandwich or baguette
Packet of crisps.
Coke Cola or Fanta
Maybe a sausage roll, pork pie, pastie
Dinner?
Meat.
More meat.
Chips.
Potatoes or white rice
Vegetables?
"Not really."
Salad?
"Only if it's hiding underneath the burger."
Beer or wine
"Well... yes."
Now let's be clear.
This isn't about judging anyone.
Life is busy.
Healthy eating isn't always easy.
And I am not expecting people to survive on kale smoothies and quinoa.
We enjoy Sunday roasts.
Fish and chips.
The occasional pint.
Birthday cake.
Christmas dinner.
Food should be one of life's pleasures.
But if your gut bacteria could speak... they'd probably be staging a protest.
Your Gut Is Home to Trillions of Tiny Workers
Inside every one of us lives an astonishing community of around 50 trillion microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome.
Think of them as your own internal workforce.
They're working around the clock.
Helping digest food.
Making critical vitamins for your wellbeing.
Supporting your immune system.
Helping maintain the lining of your gut.
Communicating with other organs throughout your body.
Scientists are still discovering just how important this remarkable ecosystem really is.
But here's something we've known for a long time.
Those microbes need feeding.
And their favourite meal isn't bacon sandwiches.
It's fibre.
When beneficial bacteria ferment dietary fibre, they produce compounds called short-chain fatty acids, particularly butyrate. These compounds help nourish the cells lining the colon, support normal immune function and help maintain a healthy gut environment.
No fibre...
less food.
Less food...
less happy bacteria.
It's really no more complicated than that.
Fibre Is the Forgotten Nutrient
For decades fibre had a terrible public relations department.
It was marketed as something that simply "keeps you regular."
Today's science tells a very different story.
Large scientific studies have consistently shown that diets rich in fibre are associated with better long-term health, including improved digestive health and lower risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and bowel disorders.
Despite this, most adults in the UK eat far less than the recommended 40 grams of fibre each day.
Tibico Is So Important...
...But Fibre Is Critical
We absolutely believe in Tibico.
Otherwise we wouldn't dedicate our lives to making and researching our processes.
Fermented foods have been enjoyed for thousands of years, and modern research continues to explore the important relationship between fermented foods, beneficial microbes and gut health.
But we're also determined to be honest.
Tibico is not a magic potion.
It isn't a substitute for eating well.
It isn't a license to ignore everything else.
Think of your gut like a beautiful garden.
Tibico helps support the microbial community.
Fibre is the compost.
Without compost...
nothing really flourishes.
You need both.
The £60,000 Car
Over the years we've noticed something.
Customers often arrive in beautiful cars.
Wearing expensive watches.
Having just returned from incredible holidays.
Living in lovely homes.
They've worked incredibly hard.
They deserve it.
Then, quietly, they'll tell us...
"I've got high blood pressure."
"I'm of statins"
"I'm overweight."
"My cholesterol is high."
"I'm permanently bloated."
"I'm on PPI tablets"
"I feel exhausted."
"My tummy seems to have developed its own postcode."
Again...
there's no judgement.
Just a gentle observation.
Many of us spend decades investing in our careers, our homes and our pensions...
while unintentionally neglecting the one investment that determines whether we'll actually enjoy any of them.
Our health and we only have one life, its not a dress rehearsal.
Don't Just Build a Pension...
Build a Body That Can Enjoy It
Think about it.
We service the car every year.
We insure the house.
We protect our phones with expensive cases.
We polish the kitchen worktops.
We clean the windows.
Yet many of us ask our own bodies to survive on convenience food, minimal fibre, little exercise and too much stress.
Then we're surprised when things start creaking.
One of the saddest things we hear is...
"I can't play with my grandchildren because my knees hurt."
Or...
"I'm only in my fifties but I haven't got any energy."
Or...
"I thought retirement would be different."
"I sleep in the afternoon"
"I get bloated and my joints inflamed"
"I feel tired after eating"
What's the point of building the perfect retirement... if your health prevents you from enjoying it?
The greatest luxury in life isn't a Rolex.
Or a sports car.
Or another cruise.
It's waking up feeling well enough to enjoy another ordinary Tuesday.
Don't Just Plan Your Will...
Plan Your Health
This thought has stayed with me for a long time.
Most people spend more time planning their Will than planning the health that might postpone it.
That sounds harsh.
But perhaps it's also true.
Your children don't just want your inheritance.
They'd much rather have you at another Christmas dinner.
Another birthday.
Another family holiday.
Another Sunday lunch.
Another cuddle with the grandchildren.
Health isn't about living forever.
None of us gets that privilege.
It's about giving ourselves the best chance of living well for as long as we can.
So... How Long Before Tibico Works?
Back to the original question.
"How many days before I feel better?"
The honest answer is...
It depends.
It depends where you're starting from.
It depends what you're eating.
It depends whether your gut bacteria are finally being fed the fibre they've been waiting for.
It depends on your overall lifestyle.
That probably isn't the marketing answer.
But it's the truthful one.
And we'd rather build trust than make promises we can't keep.
Our Honest Advice
At Tibico Fermentary we'll continue making the best fermented drinks we know how.
We have just invested in a 6 month scientific research programme to verify everything we produce.
We'll continue championing the gut microbiome.
We'll continue encouraging people to discover fermentation.
But we'll also continue saying something that many brands are afraid to say.
Tibico is part of the solution.
Fibre is fundamental.
Eat more plants.
Aim for greater variety.
Move your body.
Sleep well.
Drink your Tibico.
Laugh often.
Look after the only body you'll ever own.
Because your pension might fund your retirement...
But your health is what allows you to enjoy it.
References
- Sender R, Fuchs S, Milo R. Revised Estimates for the Number of Human and Bacteria Cells in the Body. PLoS Biology. 2016;14(8).
- Makki K, Deehan EC, Walter J, Bäckhed F. The Impact of Dietary Fibre on Gut Microbiota in Host Health and Disease. Cell Host & Microbe. 2018;23(6):705–715.
- Reynolds A, Mann J, Cummings J, et al. Carbohydrate quality and human health: systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The Lancet. 2019;393(10170):434–445.
- British Nutrition Foundation. Dietary Fibre Factsheet. https://www.nutrition.org.uk
- Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). Carbohydrates and Health. Public Health England.
- Asnicar F, Berry SE, Valdes AM, et al. Microbiome connections with host metabolism and habitual diet from the PREDICT 1 Study. Nature Medicine. 2021;27:321–332.