Interesting Facts about Fiber

Well it is time to talk about Fiber.  We hear alot about it and most thoughts come to us as Bran cereal or some brown unflavorable product of our childhood.  That is so far from the truth.  Fiber items can be delicious and you are most likely eating it already, you just need to increase your amounts to meet optimal health. 

Fiber is in two forms, soluable and insoluable.  Soluable fiber is what most of us think of with the word fiber found in oat brans and barley for example.  These reduce cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels.  Your liver produces bile acids and cholesterol.  Soluable fiber reduces this cholesterol naturally, therefore the liver must use your additional cholesterol to  manufacture new bile.  It is a win win situation by nature.  Soluable fiber reduces blood sugar by slowing the rate in which the stomach releases the food.  Therefore your levels stay more even and you feel full longer and then do not over eat.  This enhances insulin sensitivity.  It keeps your blood sugar level by delaying the absoption of glucose following the meal.  The only side effects to increased fiber is through lack of chewing propperly. 

Insoluable fiber is known as friendly bacteria that line the large intestines.  This fiber can ferment and in the colon can produce a short chain fatty acid called butytic acid and is the primary fuel for the large intestines.  This prevents colon cancer, hermorhoids, obesity, constipation, and elevated cholesterol to name a few.  They also play an important role in the immune system preventing pathogenic bacteria that causes disease. 

Fibers that are not fermentable increase the transit time in the bowels promoting regularity and therefore preventing disease such as colon cancer.  I resently had a colonoscopy and had only one pollop that was not malignat.  I was told one in five have pollops and they always turn cancerous.  We all hold the ability to produce cancerous cells.  It is a matter to what will trigger this mutation so why not do all we can to prevent it when some things are so simple?  My Dr. simply said to increase fiber in my diet. Would not be great if everything was so simple? 

There are at least 25 items I could name to increase your fiber,  here are a few:
rasberries   cauliflower  collard greens  broccoli  spinich  celery  cabbage  grapefruit  cranberries  strwberries  bell pepper  dried peas  winter squash  lentils  brussels sprouts  carrots  eggplant

So enjoy your meals by adding some of these and others you find.  God health to you!