How to Be Healthy

  Dietary fibers are vegetable substances not digestible by the enzymes of the alimentary tract.  They are derived from plant cell walls and from the non-structural polysaccharides in plant foods and  include cellulose and hemicellulose, gum, pectin, lignin and mucilage.

The role of fiber in diet was first recognized in the 1860’s. With the advent of increased improvements in milling methods for flour and other cereal grains which more effectively separated fiber from the grain, increased problems with digestive and bowel complaints including constipation were reported in the general population.  Currently, digestive diseases affect over hundred million Americans alone and is responsible for $50 billion per year in costs through lost wages and medical expenses.  Digestive tract disorders affect 200,000 people daily and are responsible for more hospital treatment time than any other group of diseases of the total cost of $20 billion per year.  Drugs and over the counter medications including laxatives, anti-diarrhea preparations and hemorrhoid medication account for $2.5 billion dollars spent per year.

  Fiber is found in plant based foods and until recently was mostly used to treat constipation. Recent research has shown more impressive health benefits including potentially effective treatments for diabetes and heart disease.  What is a healthy amount of fiber to consume daily? According to the National Academy of sciences’ Institute of Medicine the following amounts are needed daily in order to promote proper bowel health and function:

·         38 grams for men and 25 grams for women 50 and younger.

·         30 grams for men and 21 grams for women 51 and older.

  Unfortunately the average fiber intake is about 11 grams per day, much less than is needed to facilitate proper bowel function.

Sources:

Fruits, vegetables, bran, whole meal, bread, and beans.

What it does:

Cellulose forms the majority of bulk found in plant foods and primarily increases the volume of intestinal waste helping it to pass through the intestine quickly thereby helping to prevent constipation. A helps to clean the interior surfaces of the colon and small intestine, treats diarrhea and binds to potential cancer causing toxins, carrying them out of the colon. It’s vital for reducing high blood sugars primarily through increasing the time it takes for carbohydrates to digest. It is also helpful for weight loss by increasing the sensation of fullness without adding calories.

Sources:

Apples, citrus fruits, grapes, berries, and bran.

What it does:

Helps relieve constipation, stabilizes blood sugar reduce and helps excrete carcinogens in the bowel, feeds pro-biotics and aids in weight reduction.

Sources:

Apples, citrus fruits, grapes, berries, and bran.

What it does:

Lower cholesterol significantly, aids in the elimination of bile acids through the intestinal tract, short circuits the development of gall stones and colon cancer.  It does not work as well as other fiber forms to treat constipation problems.

Sources:

Locust bean gum, karaya gum, guar gum, flax seed etc.

What it does:

Lowers cholesterol significantly, stabilizes blood sugar helping diabetics handle high blood sugar more effectively and feeds pro-biotics.

Sources:

Cereals, bran, whole meal flour, raspberries, flax seed, strawberries, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, spinach, kale, parsley, and tomatoes.

What it does:

Lignans are a heavily researched class of plant chemical (phytochemical) and a form of insoluble fiber that have recently come to the forefront of nutritional research.

Several studies have found that lignans may to prevent cancer in the bowel and prevent gallstone formation while modulating immune function.

 The importance of fiber cannot be overstated.  As you can see, there are many kinds of fiber, each with its own characteristics.  Mucilaginous fiber has the unique property of leaving a smooth and almost friction free, mucous like layer after its passage.  It has extremely soothing characteristics on inflamed tissue which is important in the majority of long standing gastric upset conditions.  Most experiments indicate that mucilaginous fibers such as pectin contained in plantain and fenugreek are much better in decreasing serum cholesterol levels than are particulate fibers such as those that are found in wheat bran.

Research has connected the gradual lowering of the intake of fiber in the modern diet lead to a variety of modern chronic conditions that increasingly plague society which include:
diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, bowel cancer and other diseases of the colon.

    People who regularly eat a fiber rich diet find that there is a regular decrease in body weight and more easily controlled blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.  In fact there is next to no incidences of coronary heart disease found in groups such as Trappist monks and Seventh-Day Adventists and others that follow strict vegetarian or lacto-vegetarian diets which both contain large amounts of fiber.