Fiber and its Benefits

Fiber and its Benefits 

We’ve all been asked the question “how much fiber do you eat?” by doctors, nutritionists, dietitians, family members, and/or friends.  The topic usually comes up when you’re having some kind of problem in the bathroom and need some advice to find relief.  But what is fiber? Where do you get it? How much do you need? What are the benefits? There’s two types?

All these questions will be answered right here and now in the quickest way possible to save you all from hours of internet searches and endless contemplation.

What is Fiber?

Fiber is a part of plants that cannot be digested by the human body, which allows it to remain mostly intact while it passes through the GI tract.  Many of you have probably heard of soluble and insoluble fiber and may be wondering “whats the difference?”  Basically, it comes down to how the fiber acts in relation to water.

Soluble fiber:  Soluble fiber absorbs water and swells inside the GI tract.  This can slow down transit time and carry pathogens, fat, and cholesterol out of the body.

Insoluble fiber:  Insoluble fiber does not absorb water so it is said to add “bulk” to stools.  Insoluble fiber decreases transit time and makes stool elimination more simple. 

Sources of Fiber

Fiber can be found in many types of foods, but different foods usually have different types of fiber in different amounts.

Soluble fiber: Oatmeal and oat bran, beans ( black, pinto, kidney, navy, lima, and many more), all fruits and vegetables (especially oranges, avocados, brussel sprouts, and sweet potatoes), and nuts.

Insoluble fiber:  Whole grains (foods that say whole wheat or whole grain), vegetables (especially leafy greens, onions, bell peppers), popcorn, beans, and most fruits (especially raspberries). 

Benefits

We started this conversation by talking about fiber helping out with bathroom related issues. It is true that fiber, both soluble and insoluble, can decrease problematic evacuation.  It is also true that insoluble fiber is seen to be more beneficial for this purpose than soluble fiber.  But surely there are more benefits of fiber than that right?  Correct!

People who consume enough fiber have been shown to have lower risks of certain cancers, diabetes, obesity, and many other medical complications

Cancer:  Studies have shown that increasing fiber intake decreases ones risk for colorectal, ovarian, prostate, and lung cancer.  People who have the highest intakes of fiber generally have the lowest risk for these types of cancer(when only fiber consumption is taken into account)¹.  

Diabetes:  Fiber, especially fiber from whole grains, has long been shown to decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  Possible mechanisms for this are improved control of blood sugar (improved glycemic control) and body weight².

Obesity:  Fiber has also been suggested to decrease the risk for becoming obese and gaining body fat³.  Fiber slows down digestion and elicits a feeling of fullness and satiety, which can decrease immediate and post meal calorie consumption.  Foods high in fiber are sometimes very low calorie in comparison to their volume (they have a high volume to calorie ratio), which increases fullness with fewer calories consumed.  This is especially true of fruits and vegetables. 

Amounts needed

 **These values are based on total fiber.  No specific recommendations for insoluble fiber intake currently exist.

In conclusion, fiber is important.  It helps stave off constipation and can decrease your risk for certain medical conditions.  There are two types of fiber, but you should only worry about your total fiber intake unless otherwise directed by your medical doctor or dietitian.

Written by Anthony Scornavacco.  If you missed his post on Iron, please go back and read it here.

References

1. Kunzmann AT, Coleman HG, Huang WY, Kitahara CM, Cantwell MM, Berndt SI: Dietary fiber intake and risk of colorectal cancer and incident and recurrent adenoma in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2015;102:881-890.

2. Meyer KA, Kushi LH, Jacobs DR Jr, Slavin J, Sellers TA, Folsom AR. Carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and incident type 2 diabetes in older women. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;71:921-930

3. Liu S, Willett WC, Manson JE, Hu FB, Rosner B, Colditz G. Relation between changes in intakes of dietary fiber and grain products and changes in weight and development of obesity among middle-aged women. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;78:920-927

Tony Graduates and All About Iron

My son, Tony, recently graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics.  To say I am a proud mother is an understatement.

When Tony was in high school he was an unhappy, overweight young man.  While in his junior year of high school he made the life changing decision to research nutrition and exercise.  He designed a diet and exercise program and in less than a year he lost 85 pounds.  Here he is 5 years later, lean and fit, and ready to embark on a career that he hopes will inspire and educate others.

Oh, and he's engaged to a beautiful, compassionate and wonderful nurse.  I am blessed and I thank God every day for guiding Tony along this path.

Tony still has a few hurdles to leap - before he can become licensed, he has to complete a Dietetic Internship.  Right now he's applying for several.  The selection process is highly competitive and less than 50% of the applicants get placed each year.  He won't find out anything until April.  In the meantime, he's studying so he can take the DTR exam sometime in the coming weeks. "Dietetic Technicians - Registered" would be another skill he can add to his resume and will hopefully help him find some work in his field while he is completing an internship.  He has a lot on his plate but he's confident and focused.

He is also working with The Visual Veggies Software company.  He has partnered with them to test their DTR Exam preparation software.  He will be using their program to study for his DTR exam and will then write an unbiased review on the software.  I think it's an excellent opportunity for him and I know he will give his fair and honest opinion.

The folks over at Visual Veggies asked him to write a couple of blog posts so they could see his work.  I'm going to share one with you today......

Can Iron Give You More Energy?

One of the most common complaints I hear is that “I have no energy”.  Most people attribute this to long work hours, lack of sleep, and/or extracurricular activities.  The problem, however, may be related mostly to ones diet.  Many dietary deficiencies can cause someone to feel that he/she has “no energy”, but the deficiency I will be talking about today is iron deficiency.

What Is The Role Of Iron In The Body?

The primary role of iron is to help make the protein hemoglobin, which is responsible for the delivery of oxygen to the tissues of the body and removal of carbon dioxide.  Without iron hemoglobin cannot be made and, therefore, the exchange of these two gasses cannot occur.  When oxygen transport becomes inhibited, because dietary iron is lacking, it can cause people to feel fatigued, short of breath, dizzy, have frequent headaches, and have many other symptoms.

I'm sure most people would say that oxygen is important.  Like really important.  So its easy to see why iron is essential for our bodies.  

Sources of Iron

The best sources of iron are meat (beef and lamb), chicken liver, seafood (especially clams and oysters), pumpkin seeds, green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans and lentils, whole grain products, tofu, and dark chocolate (We finally have an excuse to eat chocolate).

I should note that iron from meat, chicken, and seafood is absorbed better than iron from other sources, but that's a topic for another time.

How Much Iron Do I Need?

The amount of iron that each individual needs changes throughout life depending on age, medical conditions, pregnancy, and other factors. The chart below sums up how much iron is needed by most individuals very well.

**Credit for the chart: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/

Considerations

Certain foods and substances do inhibit the absorption of iron when consumed with iron containing foods and supplements.  Calcium, wine, coffee, and tea have all been shown to inhibit the absorption of iron¹.  Not all the iron you consume with these substances will be negated, but enough absorption will be inhibited to make a difference in the long run.  It may be beneficial to plan your iron containing meals around your morning coffee, afternoon tea, and/or evening glass of wine (or two).

A recent study indicated that as many as 10 million Americans are iron deficient and that 5 million of those people have iron deficiency anemia (a very severe form of iron deficiency)².  So if you are experiencing symptoms of iron deficiency it could be worth your time to see your doctor to have your iron status tested.

Do I Need An Iron Supplement?

Most people without iron deficiency anemia will not need an iron supplement to keep their iron status within normal ranges.  This can be done by including a variety of iron containing foods in your diet.  Consuming iron supplements has been indicated to cause a great deal of GI complications so the consumption of an iron supplement should be supervised by a doctor and/or dietitian.

References

1. Hurrell R, Egli I. Iron bioavailability and dietary reference values. Am J ClinNutr 91: 1461S–1467S, 2010.

2. Miller JL. Iron Deficiency Anemia: A Common and Curable Disease. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine. 2013;3(7):a011866. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a011866.

Clif Bar - Product Review

A couple of weeks ago I won a giveaway over at Hiking Lady for a Clif Bar Gift Pack.  Hiking Lady is one of my favorite blogs and I visit her a lot.  If you're a guy, don't let the lady in the title keep you from visiting - she has tons of great information and gear reviews on her site that are useful for both men and women.  Her "Hiking 101" section is packed with helpful information on all sorts of hiking equipment.  Her gear reviews are honest and straight forward.  And... she has great give-aways, which leads me to the Clif Bars.

I've eaten Clif Bars before and I'm a big fan, so I was excited to win the giveaway and get this Gift Pack that was filled with fun Clif Bar products....

First up was the huge frisbee.  This is easily the largest and most sturdy frisbee I've ever seen.

I really like the water bottle.  The shape is nice and it's a perfect size.  This one is going to the gym with me and it fits perfectly in my backpack water bottle holder....

The Clif Bar carabiner is going right onto my backpack.  There are a 101different uses for carabiners.   (hmmm, future post maybe?)

And last, but most importantly, 2 Clif Bars - one white chocolate macadamia nut (which happens to be my personal favorite) and a blueberry crisp.  This is the white chocolate macadamia nut......

The picture is a little blurry because I was in a big hurry to eat it.

In case you're not familiar with Clif Bars, they're energy bars made with 70% organic ingredients.  They use an assortment of oats, dried fruit and nuts to make up the different bars.  They have a very nice, chewy consistency to them.  Very moist!  The bars are made with a mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fiber.  They can be eaten at any time - before, during or after an activity and they give you a natural energy boost and there's no  "sugar crash" either.  There are no dairy products in their bars and they are vegan friendly.  I like to eat them after I leave the gym and I usually carry a couple in my backpack to eat while out on the trail.

Clif Bar offers a wide variety of snacks like protein bars and granola bars and they have lots of yummy sounding flavors like chocolate chip, peanut butter or oatmeal raisin.  One of the flavors that I'm anxious to try is the Back Cherry Almond.  Doesn't that sound wonderful?  I haven't seen that one in the store yet, but I'll be watching for it.

The Clif Bar Company contributes 1% of sales to Environmental Organizations.  They give back to the community by donating employee time to help around the country with different projects and causes.  Plus they strive to reduce their ecological footprint in all aspects of their company - and what they are doing must be working because their efforts have been recognized across the country.  Please go check out their website to get more in-depth information on all they do.  It will be well worth your time.

Clif Bar also has a Facebook page so you might want to go visit and LIKE them.  I already have.

Special thanks again to Hiking Lady for hosting this giveaway.  She also has a Facebook page, so stop by and LIKE her as well!