The Importance of Fiber

Posted by Healthy Living Basics on 3/21/11

Dr. Jan McBarron on the Dee Armstrong Show

What you need to know about Fiber

Everyone knows they should get more, but do they know why? We think of fiber as simply something we need to make our bowels move; however, studies consistently find that fiber is crucial in healthy carbohydrate metabolism (i.e. weight loss), toxin removal (i.e. cancer prevention), healthy blood pressure levels and heart health, healthy blood cholesterol levels, and so much more. The American Heart Association recommends a dietary fiber intake from foods of approximately 25 to 30 grams per day. Most Americans only get 10-15 per day. Low-carb dieters only get around 7-8 a day! How can that be healthy? Doctor Jan McBarron M.D, N.D, board- certified bariatric physician, says, “No one ever got fat from eating apples!” (Watch Doc on “The Dee Armstrong Show” at http://dukeandthedoctor.com/2011/03/dr-jan-mcbarron-discusses-weight-loss-on-the-dee-armstrong-show/ for great weight loss tips)

According to a poll conducted in 2005 by The National Fiber Council, most Americans are not even familiar with foods that are high in fiber. Fifty-three percent of the participants considered steak to be a significant source of fiber, one in four did not believe whole grain bread to contain fiber, and 42 percent considered potato chips to be a significant source of fiber! Clearly, our society needs a bit more education from our health care providers than them simply advising us to “Eat more fiber”! (For more info go to http://www.nationalfibercouncil.org/af_are.shtml)

Fiber is generally split into two types, soluble and insoluble, and both are very important. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and can form a gel. Soluble fiber is shown to lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar levels as well as regulate our digestion, (it makes our “pipes” more slippery, facilitating elimination). Food sources high in soluble fiber are oats, many fruits and veggies, beans, barley and psyllium (pronounced “silly-um”). Insoluble fiber, equally as important, is a bulking agent and also contributes to bowel regularity. Because insoluble fiber gently scrapes the insides of our colons during its digestive journey, it acts like the snake the plumber uses to get the scum off the sides of the pipes, (I’m trying hard not to exhaust the plumbing analogy, but hey, it works). Examples include: whole wheat flour, wheat bran, and some crunchy type veggies. Almost all plant-based foods, excluding potato chips and other processed and refined foods like white bread and most sugary cereal, contain fiber.

Eating the recommended 25-30 grams of fiber per day lowers your risk of developing heart disease, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and absorbs dietary cholesterol and fights obesity. Researchers estimate that if Americans doubled their daily fiber intake, it would decrease daily caloric intake by 100 calories, resulting in a 10 lb loss of weight per year! Clearly, most of the “lifestyle” diseases plaguing this country could be improved, if not eliminated, by increasing daily intake of fiber. We must start reading the labels of everything and consciously increasing our daily fiber count. To download a list of high fiber foods, go to http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fiber-foods/NU00582
Spread the good news about fiber! Help yourself, family members, and friends! It is crucial we become our own health advocates and educators!

Sources: The National Fiber Council http://www.nationalfibercouncil.org/index.shtml ; http://dukeandthedoctor.com/