A high fiber diet that includes diverse sources of fiber reduces several major risk factors for heart disease. Fiber does a heart good, and 25 grams per day is the minimum needed to reap significant benefits. In the U.S., it's been estimated that the average adult eats only about 10 to 15 grams of fiber a day. In addition, fiber could help with weight loss and help reduce cholesterol levels. Foods containing strong-gelling fibers reduce food intake by stimulating a feeling of satiety or fullness.

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Dietary fiber definition
Dietary fiber is the term for parts of plants a body can't digest. Dietary fibers are non-ingestible non-starch polysaccharides which are derived from vegetables, grains, legumes and other plants and absorb water when consumed. Natural dietary fiber contains cellulose, lignin, waxes, chitins, pectins, beta-glucans, inulin and oligosaccharides.

Dietary fiber classification
Fiber is classified as soluble or insoluble. Both types of fiber are present in all plant foods. Soluble fiber undergoes metabolic processing via fermentation, yielding end-products that influence health. Insoluble dietary fiber attracts water and increases bulk, softens stool and maintains regularity.

High fiber food - source of Fiber
Most plants have a combination of soluble and insoluble fiber. Foods high in soluble fiber include whole grains, oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, strawberries and apple pulp.
   Insoluble fiber is important in normal bowel function. Foods high in insoluble fiber include whole-wheat breads, wheat cereals, wheat bran, rye, rice, barley, most other grains, cabbage, beets, carrots, Brussels sprouts, turnips, cauliflower and apple skin.
     Recently I discovered chia seeds which work similar to psyllium in having a high fiber content and being able to absorb a lot of water and help regular bowel function. Flax seeds are also wonderful for bowel regulation.

Fiber supplement - Fiber pill - Types of Fiber
Modified Citrus Pectin supplement is an example of a healthy fiber. You can purchase Modified-Citrus-Pectin here.
Agar fiber
Apple pectin fiber information
Grapefruit pectin fiber information and Pectin Grapefruit product.
Prebiotics such as inulin fiber
Psyllium is one of my favorite fiber supplements, I use half a teaspoon daily with breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Soluble Fiber
Most foods contain a combination of soluble and insoluble fiber. Compounds that dissolve or swell when put into water are called soluble fibers and include pectins, gums, mucilages, and some hemicelluloses. These compounds are found inside and around plant cells and exist as gum arabic, guar gum, locust bean gum, and pectins. Soluble fiber is found in cereals and a variety of foods such as salad dressings, jams, and jellies. Oats have the highest proportion of soluble fiber of any grain.

Insoluble Fiber
Insoluble fiber cannot be digested by enzymes in the human gastrointestinal tract. Insoluble fiber is considered a "noncarbohydrate carbohydrate" since the components that make up insoluble fiber are lignins, cellulose, and hemicelluloses. All of these compounds form the structural parts of plants and do not readily dissolve in water and are not metabolized by intestinal bacteria. Bran fiber is rich in hemicelluloses, while a cotton ball is pure cellulose. Insoluble fiber is important because it provides mass to the stool, helping to ease elimination. The fiber absorbs water and holds onto it in the intestine. When enough fiber is consumed, the water-retaining property helps to enlarge and soften the stool. As a result, less pressure is required to expel the stool.

Fiber and Weight Loss
Foods containing strong-gelling fibers reduce food intake by stimulating a feeling of satiety or fullness. The average fiber intake of adults in the United States is less than half recommended levels and is lower still among those who follow currently popular low-carbohydrate diets, such as Atkins and South Beach. Increasing consumption of dietary fiber with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes across the life cycle is a critical step in stemming the epidemic of obesity found in developed countries. The addition of functional fiber to weight-loss diets should also be considered as a tool to improve success.

Fiber, weight loss, and cholesterol reduction study
If you have been a long term reader of my newsletter, you are aware of about my hesitancy in using statin drugs for cholesterol reduction, or the use of pharmaceutical drugs for weight loss. Drugs should be reserved when safer methods fail. Here I present a study done in Spain that found the use of two simple and inexpensive fibers, psyllium and glucomannan, to be helpful not only in weight reduction, but also in lowering cholesterol levels. It's sad that doctors prescribe statin drugs to their patients with mild cholesterol level elevations when there are are simple and safe alternatives. I can understand using statin drugs when all natural options fail, but most doctors don't even suggest additional fiber supplements. They are quick to the draw to write a prescription for a statin drug such as Lipitor or prescription weight loss drugs.

Effect of two doses of a mixture of soluble fibers on body weight and metabolic variables in overweight or obese patients: a randomised trial.
Br J Nutr. 2007 November. Human Nutrition Unit, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, C/Sant Llorenç 21, 43201 Reus, Spain.
The purpose of this study was to compare the benefit of a mixture of fibers on body weight-loss, satiety, lipid profile and glucose metabolism. For a period of 16 weeks, 200 obese individuals consumed fiber consisting of3 grams Plantago ovata (psyllium husk) and 1 gram glucomannan twice daily, or three times daily or placebo. Weight loss tended to be higher after both doses of fiber ( - 4.52 and - 4.60 kg) than placebo ( - 0.79 kg). Postprandial satiety increased in both fiber groups compared to the placebo. The differences between groups in LDL-cholesterol levels were significant, with greater reductions in the two fiber-supplemented groups. A similar pattern was observed for changes in total cholesterol / HDL-cholesterol ratios. Interventions were well tolerated and had no effects on HDL-cholesterol, glucose and insulin concentrations, glucose tolerance or high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. In conclusion, a 16-week dietary supplement of soluble fiber in overweight or obese patients was well tolerated, induced satiety and had beneficial effects on some cardiovascular risk factors, the most important of which was a significant decrease in plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations.

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Fiber and cholesterol
When eaten regularly as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, soluble fiber has been shown to help lower blood cholesterol.

Fiber and gallstones
High-fiber diet reduces the risk for gallstones.

Fiber and hemorrhoid treatment
Most kinds of fiber are beneficial for hemorrhoids, particularly psyllium.

Fiber and C reactive protein
In a study of 524 healthy adults, investigators found that those with the highest fiber intake had lower blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) than those who ate the least fiber. The findings support the general recommendation that adults get 20 to 35 grams of fiber per day, in the form of fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. It's not clear why fiber reduces inflammation, but it may lower cholesterol and blood sugar, both of which can contribute to inflammation. Both of the main forms of fiber, soluble and insoluble, were related to lower CRP levels. Soluble fiber is found in foods like oatmeal, beans, berries and apples, while whole grains and many vegetables are good sources of insoluble fiber. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, April 2006.

Low fiber diet
A low fiber diet is composed of foods that are low in residue content. This diet reduces fecal mass. A low fiber diet is sometimes used in the treatment of chronic diarrhea, colitis and other gastrointestinal disorders, although more recently, higher fiber diets have been employed for these purposes.

Natural fiber research update
A study of nearly 6,000 men and women found that the higher the participants' fiber intake, the lower their risk of being overweight or having elevated blood pressure or cholesterol. Fiber from different sources had somewhat different effects. Fiber from whole grains, for example, was linked to lower body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and levels of a blood protein called homocysteine, which is connected to heart disease risk. Fruit fiber was associated with lower blood pressure and less abdominal fat, while fiber from vegetables appeared to lower the risk of high blood pressure and high homocysteine concentrations. And fiber from nuts, dried fruit and seeds was linked to a lower BMI, a lesser risk of abdominal obesity and lower blood sugar levels. These findings all point to the importance of getting fiber from a variety of sources. The results also suggest that adults would do well to get more than the recommended fiber intake of roughly 25 grams per day. In the study, each 5-gram increase above that was linked to a greater decrease in the risks of being overweight or having high blood pressure or high cholesterol. People can generally have fiber intakes of up to 70 grams a day without having digestive symptoms such as bloating and cramping. Study participants with highest total fiber intake had a 30 percent lower risk of being overweight. They had similarly lower risks of high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol compared with their peers who ate the least fiber. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 2005.

Fiber rich foods include:
Whole grains such as bran, oatmeal, brown rice, barley, whole wheat bread and multigrain cereals.
Fruits like apples, oranges, berries, prunes, figs and pears.
Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, peas, lentils, and beans.

Additional plants with a lot of fiber include:
Yucca root

Barley fiber
Feb 2008 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an interim final rule to amend the existing health claim regarding soluble fiber and reduced risk of heart disease, to include barley betafiber as an authorized source of soluble fiber. The FDA's revision of the health claim is a result of Cargill's health claim petition, based in large part on Cargill's proprietary clinical research with Barlív™ barley betafiber. Cargill is the only producer of barley betafiber; therefore, Barlív barley betafiber is the only barley beta-glucan concentrate that qualifies for the FDA health claim as defined.

Herb used for constipation
Cascara Sagrada bark is helpful. You can purchase Cascara-Sagrada here.
For natural treatment of constipation.

This fiber page was last revised in January 2008.
Low fat high fiber diet