Beginner's Fitness Programs

We all know that we need to have fiber as part of a healthy diet. This is especially true for women, as women tend to get constipated and foods with more fiber such as vegetables and fruits will help to solve the problem. The FDA recommends consuming 28 to 35 grams of fiber per day. Many people find it difficult to eat that much fiber in a day and instead rely on fiber supplements.

I know that you eat healthy with plenty of yummy vegetables and you take fiber supplements. So you are all set, right? Well, not quite. Keep reading…

Do you know that there are two types of fibers? One is soluble and the other insoluble. That FDA recommendation is only for the INsoluble fiber, and does not include soluble fiber. Furthermore, most fiber supplements contain only insoluble fiber, and most food packages also list only the insoluble fiber content. So you really need to have MORE than those 35 grams of fiber a day.

We know the benefits of “normal” insoluble fiber. It cleans out the guts and improves movement in our bowels. Why do we need soluble fiber?

The main benefit of soluble fiber is that it changes the function of immune cells from inflammatory to anti-inflammatory. If you consume soluble fiber regularly, your immune system works at peak efficiency and you won’t get sick, or at least you will recover from illness much faster than you would without it.

Further, researchers at the University of Illinois investigated whether soluble fiber offsets negative effects of high-fat diets, which include illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. Although the investigation is still ongoing, they have found that soluble fiber potentially “immunizes” obese people from diabetes and heart attacks. This is great news!

Good food sources of soluble fiber include oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, lentils, citrus fruits, apples, strawberries, and carrots. Although the study does not suggest how much we should have, we probably need a lot. If you are not eating three apples a day, you may want to rely on a fiber supplement which contains both soluble and insoluble fibers.

One note of caution: If you have not been taking fiber supplements, you want to start with very small amounts. Until your system gets used to the increased fiber intake, it can cause a problem of excessive gas. There are fiber supplements which prevent gas problems, but they are 2-3 times more expensive than others. Even with expensive ones, you should always try a small quantity first to see how your body will react.

Source:
Sickness behavior induced by endotoxin can be mitigated by the dietary soluble fiber, pectin, through up-regulation of IL-4 and Th2 polarization. Brain Behavior and Immunity, 2010

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