DIETARY FIBER

WHAT IS DIETARY FIBER?

There is more to fiber than crunch. What Grandma calls roughage, scientists know as fiber. Fiber is an indigestible complex carbohydrate found in plants. Fiber is not a single food or substance. Fiber in itself has no calories because body cannot absorb it. Therefore, high fiber foods low in fat are low in calories such as fruits and vegetables. Fiber can be divided into two categories according to their physical characteristics and effects on the body. Water insoluble and water soluble. Each form functions differently and provides different health benefits. Insoluble fibers, such as cellulose, hemice-llulose and lingnin, do not dissolve in water. Soluble fibers, such as gum and pectin, do dissolve in water.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF FIBERS

If you have been doctoring yourself with brain in the hopes of getting fiber’s benefits, what you are mostly getting are larger, softer stools. This kind of fiber “bulks up” waste and moves it through the colon more rapidly, preventing constipation and possibly colon cancer. The trickiest accomplishments of fiber lie with the stickiest kinds called gums and pectins, as they keep cholesterol under control by removing bile acids that digest fat. The same types of fiber may regulate blood sugar as well. This is accomplished by coating the gut’s lining and delaying stomach emptying. As a result, they can slow sugar absorption after a meal and may reduce the amount of insulin needed. Fiber is a weight watchers dream since fibers called cellulose and hemicelluloses take up space in the stomach, making us feel full, therefore food intake is less.

WHAT FOODS SUPPLY WHICH FIBER?

Insoluble Fiber: Fruits, vegetables, dried beans, wheat brans, seeds, popcorn, brown rice, and whole grain products such as breads, cereals and pasta.

Soluble Fiber: Fruits such as apples, oranges, pears, peaches, and grapes; vegetables, seeds, oat bran, dried beans, oatmeal, barley and rye. Prunes are also high insoluble fiber. Today’s pitted prunes are moist and convenient – an excellent snack and a great way to get more natural fiber into the diet.

ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH FIBER?

Although fiber is not considered an essential nutrient, a diet containing 20-35 grams of fiber a day is recommended. Increasing the consumption of complex carbohydrates is the best way to increase fiber intake. A large increase in fiber over a short period of time may result in bloating, diarrhea, gas and general discomfort. It is important to add fiber gradually over a period of time (3 weeks) to avoid abdominal problems.

WHAT FOODS SUPPLY WHICH FIBER?

The fats that travel around in our bloodstream have an ability to turn into troublesome compounds. When fats combine with oxygen in the wrong place at the wrong time, they can turn into compounds known as free radicals. These compounds tend to combine with whatever is nearby, turning that compound into a free radical as well. The result is a chain reaction that can end up damaging the lining of the blood vessel, the first step down the road to heart disease and an eventual heart attack. A prudent nutritional defense strategy has, as its foundation, a high-fiber, low fat plant based diet that includes a hefty supply of antioxidant nutrients.

Here’s a list of some of the key antioxidants and other important nutrients: q Vitamin E is present in wheat germ. When taken in supplement form, avoid the synthetic “dl” tocopherols opting instead for the “d” tocopherols, preferably as a mixture of natural alpha, beta and gamma tocopherol isomers. Studies in the human plasma and tissue alpha-tocopherol concentrations in response to supplementation with deuterated natural and synthetic vitamin E indicate that these are better absorbed and retained than the synthetic vitamin.

·         Magnesium can be found in legumes, dark green vegetables and whole grains. Although magnesium is not an antioxidant, it tends to be low in men who have heart attacks. Magnesium helps reduce arterial constriction and blockage – the forerunners of heart attack – and it is often used to treat heart-attack victims.

·         Vitamin C can be obtained from citrus, tropical fruits, melons, berries, peppers, and broccoli. Folic acid is found in dark green, leafy vegetables, legumes , citrus fruit such as oranges, tomatoes, strawberries.

At-risk populations may need to take Vitamin C and E and folic acid supplements, since it’s hard to get a sufficient amount in the normal diet.

·         Selenium is present in cereals and whole grains. As a supplement, avoid taking more than 200 micrograms per day unless specifically instructed by your health professional.

·         Zinc can be found in whole grains.

·         Carotenoids and other phytochemical antioxidants can be obtained from sweet potatoes, papaya, apricots, and dark yellow and green vegetables.

·         Lycopene cousin to beta carotene – is found in tomatoes.

·         Coenzyme Q-10 is found in rice bran and wheat germ. Supplemental amounts- in addition to dietary CoQ10 – have been associated with clinical improvements.

Hope you liked this blog!

This article is written by Dr. Bimal Chhajer (Heart Health expert)