November 2, 2023 general

Last week, we talked about “roughage” the insoluble type of fiber that we do not digest. Its partner in health is a type of fiber that dissolves. Both types are food for friendly bacteria, but soluble fiber seems to be a bit better prebiotic. If eating fiber in excess is problematic, you might want to research SIBO (an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. That can cause chronic diarrhea and malabsorption, unintentional weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, and osteoporosis.)

Soluble fiber (SF) grabs water and makes a gel in the digestive system. That gel binds with fatty acids and helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels. SF slows stomach emptying. That improves the absorption of nutrients, satisfies appetite, controls hunger and aids in regulation of blood sugar levels. By helping prevent blood sugar spikes, it reduces the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes.

Sounds good right? So where do we get it? SF is found in foods like legumes (beans, peas, lentils), oats, barley, berries, apples, bananas, chia seeds, peanuts and peanut butter and many vegetables (which may also provide insoluble fiber).

You may have noticed that marketing for oat cereals often alludes to benefits for cholesterol management. That is because oats are the richest source of soluble fiber (as beta-glucan) compared to other grains.

You probably know that many people go on “low carb diets” to lose weight, improve blood sugar management and improve heart health. (From my experience, when people go “low carb” they also recover from heartburn and even cease having sleep apnea.) When calculating carbs, fiber grams can be deducted. Processed foods are usually not good sources of either type of fiber. For example, a Pringles® Potato Crisps serving is 28 grams. Of those, 16 grams are carbohydrates (almost 60%), but less than 1 gram is fiber. That means the snack is considered high carb and will be quickly converted to blood sugar. (BTW, Food sugar is listed as part of the carb count.) Pringles contain few vitamins or minerals and also only contains just 1 gram of protein. So, it is not healthful and will not be satisfying for long.

Bottom line. Unless you are working on a specific problem and need to focus on one type of fiber, don’t worry much about which foods contain which kinds of fiber. Eat plenty of whole real foods, vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, legumes and whole grains. You don’t have to be a vegetarian, just make sure you eat sufficient quantities of those plant foods along with your protein source.There are many fiber supplements, but they are not otherwise nutritional.Also, your gut bacteria will be more healthfully diverse if you ingest a variety of fibers.