Fiber

The American Heart Association (AHA) reports that eating a diet high in fiber is associated with a decreased risk of obesity, diabetes and several other risk factors for heart disease. The protection is attributed to a lowering of insulin levels. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body store fat and use glucose, the body's main food source.

Alice H. Lichtenstein, D.Sc., member of the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee, says, "Increasing dietary fiber is just one component of a healthy diet that can help reduce the risk of heart disease" and that the study also "shows that fiber may keep individuals from gaining weight."

Dietary fiber — found primarily in fruits, vegetables and whole grains — includes parts of plants the body cannot digest. During digestion fiber increases the transit time of food throughout the gastrointestinal tract, which may decrease the absorption of calories.

In the study, individuals who consumed a high fiber diet were less likely than those who consumed a low fiber diet to develop elevated insulin, central adiposity (fat accumulation around the waist) and weight gain.

When eaten regularly as part of a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet, soluble fiber has also been shown to help lower blood cholesterol.

Fiber also helps to stabilize blood sugar fluctuations. Low blood sugar levels causes food cravings, so consuming fiber may help to reduce the number of food cravings you experience.

Fiber can cut down hunger pangs and makes you feel full. And of course, it helps to regulate bowel function.

Oats have the highest proportion of soluble fiber of any grain. Foods high in soluble fiber include oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, strawberries and apple pulp.

The AHA recommends a total dietary fiber intake of 25-30 grams per day to ensure nutrient adequacy and maximize the cholesterol-lowering impact of a fat-modified diet. Current dietary fiber intakes among adults in the United States average about 15 grams per day, or half the recommended amount.

 

Where can you get a good Fiber supplement?

• Tahiti Trim Plan 40™ Fiber Complex -- Highly Recommended. This contains both soluble and insoluble fiber to encourage a properly functioning digestive system, and that can help improve vitamin and nutrient absorption. And this comes in a great-tasting formula!

 

Still got a question on fiber? Email us at and we'll do our best to answer any questions you have... We're here to help!

 

References

1. Nancy C. Howarth, M.Sc., Edward Saltzman, M.D., Susan B. Roberts, Ph.D., Dietary Fiber and Weight Regulation, Nutrition Reviews, Volume 59, Number 5, May 2001
2. Ou S, Kwok K, Li Y, Fu L, In vitro study of possible role of dietary fiber in lowering postprandial serum glucose, J Agric Food Chem 2001 Feb;49(2):1026-9
3. Knopp RH, Superko HR, Davidson M, Insull W, Dujovne CA, Kwiterovich PO, Zavoral JH, Graham K, O'Connor RR, Edelman DA, Long-term blood cholesterol-lowering effects of a dietary fiber supplement, Am J Prev Med 1999 Jul;17(1):18-23
4. Shen H, He L, Price RL, Fernandez ML, Dietary soluble fiber lowers plasma LDL cholesterol concentrations by altering lipoprotein metabolism in female guinea pigs, J Nutr 1998 Sep;128(9):1434-41
5. Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Mehling CC, Parker T, Rao AV, Agarwal S, Novokmet R, Jones PJ, Raeini M, Story JA, Furumoto E, Vidgen E, Griffin LC, Cunnane SC, Ryan MA, Connelly PW, Combined effect of vegetable protein (soy) and soluble fiber added to a standard cholesterol-lowering diet, Metabolism 1999 Jun;48(6):809-16
6. Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Vidgen E, Mehling CC, Parker T, Seyler H, Faulkner D, Garsetti M, Griffin LC, Agarwal S, Rao AV, Cunnane SC, Ryan MA, Connelly PW, Leiter LA, Vuksan V, Josse R, The effect on serum lipids and oxidized low-density lipoprotein of supplementing self-selected low-fat diets with soluble-fiber, soy, and vegetable protein foods, Metabolism 2000 Jan;49(1):67-72 

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