Eating fiber helps fight disease, control weight

By Marsha Hilgeford
The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal

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If only the current low-carbohydrate craze would give way to a fiber fixation, nutrition experts would be happier.

And Americans would be healthier, they say.

But bulking up fiber's reputation is about as difficult as selling the public on eating more barley — a half cup cooked has 6.8 grams of fiber, by the way.

While eating more fiber may be great advice, most people find it difficult to follow.

Foods high in fiber are harder to eat than those with lesser amounts. A burger can be eaten with one hand as we work or drive. Spinach salad, on the other hand, while a great source of fiber, takes some time and attention.

But diets high in fiber have stood the test of time and continue to be recommended by most health experts. Research suggests that fiber may prevent heart disease, diabetes, some forms of cancer and obesity.

Ways to add fiber Try a high-fiber grain instead of rice. Bulgur, barley and brown rice are great high-fiber substitutes. Add dry beans to stir-fry, dips or quesadillas. Eat some fresh or dried fruit with every meal. Eat the skin and membranes of fruits. Start dinners with a large spinach salad, sprinkled with nuts, seeds or dried fruit. Choose fruit instead of juice. Make a crockpot of vegetable soup to freeze for lunches. Try Middle Eastern cuisine, such as tabbouleh or falafel. Keep nuts or cereal mixes available for snacks. Buy whole-wheat pasta, breads and cereals. Consider a choice of soup from a restaurant. Selecting bean soup will make you feel full for a long time. A word of caution Adding too much fiber too quickly may cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Add high-fiber foods gradually and increase your water or liquid intake to help digestion. Adding fiber to the diet is a great idea. And with a gradual approach, it will be relatively painless and certainly worthwhile. Start by adding or substituting one high-fiber food every few days. The time and energy you invest will be well worth it.

What is fiber?

Fiber is found only in plant foods. It is a type of carbohydrate that gives plants their structure. It is not digested or absorbed into the body when eaten. It carries no calories and is not considered to be a nutrient.

Fiber is not found in any animal-based product, such as dairy or meat. Only traces of fiber are found in heavily processed foods such as white rice, white bread, refined breakfast cereals, most cookies, crackers and regular pasta.

There are two types of fiber, both beneficial in different ways. Soluble fiber, such as pectin found in fruit, dissolves in water. This type of fiber helps treat heart disease and diabetes. Insoluble fiber includes wheat and the cellulose fibers added to high-fiber bread. This type of fiber helps make us feel full and aids in the digestion of other foods.

With every step our foods go through in processing, fiber content is diminished.

Orange juice, for example, has less than 1 gram of fiber per serving, while a fresh orange has 3 grams of fiber. Those fluffy, luscious mashed potatoes or delicious French fries also score a zero on the fiber scale, while a baked potato with skin brings with it 3 grams of fiber.

The average American diet includes about 11 grams of fiber daily. This is less than half the recommended amount suggested by health experts, including the surgeon general and the American Heart Association. Recent recommendations for fiber are for 25 to 38 grams daily. With such a positive connection to good health, a diet high in fiber may be a missing link for many of us.

Here are ways a diet high in fiber can improve health and help prevent diseases:

Weight loss

Fiber helps you feel full and slows the emptying of your stomach. Eating a meal high in fiber may help you fill up before you overeat, and the time devoted to chewing higher-fiber foods gives your body time to regulate when you are no longer hungry.

	Arthur Agatston wrote "The South Beach Diet."

High-fiber foods are also generally less dense in calories than low-fiber foods and will provide fewer calories. Fiber may also help cut calories by blocking the digestion of the fat and protein consumed with it from other foods eaten at the same time. Your body may actually absorb fewer calories.

Dr. Arthur Agatston, author of "The South Beach Diet," suggests fiber delays your stomach's effort to get at the sugars and starches in carbohydrates. Fiber is considered a good obstacle in slowing down digestion.

Agatston suggests that diets high in fiber slow the digestion of carbohydrates, which inhibits the production of insulin, promoting a drop in blood sugar. When the rise of blood sugar is lessened, hunger will be diminished.

The more conventional Weight Watchers diet considers fiber content as a factor in reducing the number of "points" a food contributes to the daily total.

Heart disease and diabetes

Evidence continues to emerge that dietary fiber, particularly soluble fiber, is good for your heart.

In a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 10,000 people who consumed 21 grams of fiber a day were 12 percent less likely to develop heart disease than those who consumed 6 grams.

Significant effects of fiber come from the stickiness provided by the water-soluble gums and pectins. They help keep cholesterol in check by binding to bile acids that digest fat. In effect, they lower the cholesterol pool and prevent resorption.

Hypertension

Fiber-rich foods provide potassium and magnesium, two minerals needed to help regulate blood pressure.

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute showed the importance of whole grains, vegetables and fruits in controlling blood pressure.

Diabetes and blood sugar

Water-soluble fibers help regulate blood sugar by delaying stomach emptying. They slow down sugar absorption after a meal and reduce the amount of insulin needed.

Fiber-rich foods contribute to a more consistent blood glucose level. This helps lessen the peaks and valleys of blood sugar after meals. High-fiber diets have been shown to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes by as much as 50 percent.

Diverticular disease

Fiber has remained standard therapy for the treatment of diverticular disease, an inflammation of the intestine. In Western societies, this is one of the most common disorders of the colon, affecting one-third of people over age 45.

A recent Harvard study of male professionals found that eating dietary fiber, particularly insoluble fiber, was associated with about a 40 percent lower risk of diverticular disease.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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