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The Many Benefits of Fiber

Looking for foods to consume in greater quantities ? Consider those that are HIGH IN FIBER , an indigestible but ESSENTIAL COMPONENT found mainly in grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Although it passes through the digestive system relatively unchanged, fiber has TWO well-known benefits:

New research shows that fiber may also LOWER THE RISK of certain serious illnesses, including HEART DISEASE and COLON CANCER .

Yet, the average (North) American consumes only about 12 grams of fiber a day - about HALF of the recommended amount of 25 grams daily . Clearly, most people SHOULD INCREASE THEIR FIBER INTAKE. But it's important to do so gradually because abrupt increases frequently cause bloating, gas and abdominal pain.

There are two types of fiber, each with its own particular effects:

Soluble Fiber.

This type of fiber, which gets sticky when it comes into contact with water, may help stabilize blood glucose, affects nutrient absorption and lowers cholesterol & triglycerides (another type of fat found in the blood). Good sources include oats, beans, barley and many fruits and vegetables . Getting the recommended amount is especially IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WITH DIABETES , and it may HELP PREVENT HEART DISEASE . But whether the protective benefit comes from the fiber itself or from other nutrients found in high-fiber foods remains unknown.

The latest study in support of cardioprotection appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers at Harvard University surveyed 43,757 male health professionals between the ages 45 and 75 to find out how much fiber they consumed. During six years of follow-up, 734 of those polled had had heart attacks. Those who consumed less than 10 grams of total fiber a day had the most heart attacks, WHILE THOSE WHO CONSUMED ABOUT 28 GRAMS DAILY HAD THE FEWEST.

"THE ONLY DEBATE REMAINING IS OVER THE EXTENT OF THE BENEFIT," says cardiologist Dr. Roger Blumenthal, assistant professor of medicine and co-director of the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease at Johns Hopkins. "The bottom line is that the FIBER CONTENT OF THE TYPICAL AMERICAN DIET SHOULD BE INCREASED to lower the risk of heart disease."

Insoluble Fiber.

As it moves through the digestive system, insoluble fiber absorbs up to 15 times its weight in water, creating a soft bulky stool that passes through the intestines with ease. Good sources include corn and wheat bran, the skins of fruit and vegetables and leafy greens. An adequate amount of insoluble fiber PREVENTS CONSTIPATION and is an important treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (spasmodic contractions of the bowel muscles that cause abdominal pain, gas and diarrhea alternating with constipation). It is also a TREATMENT FOR DIVERTICULOSIS , or small pockets in the intestinal wall that may become inflamed (a condition known as diverticulitis), leading to pain, fever and impaired bowel function.

Insoluble fiber may also help LOWER THE RISK OF COLON CANCER . According to one theory, fiber can MINIMIZE EXPOSURE TO CARCINOGENS that may be in the stool by diluting them and speeding their transit through the bowel. Another theory holds that insoluble fiber REDUCES BILE ACIDS and certain bacterial enzymes that may promote cancer.

Most population studies have FOUND LESS COLON CANCER AMONG THOSE WITH ADEQUATE FIBER INTAKE . In 1992 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published a large study showing that a high-fiber, low-fat diet helps prevent the growth of precancerous polyps (tissue growths that protrude from a membrane such as the intestinal lining). However, there's no way to know if the insoluble fiber itself was responsible for this benefit, if the other substances in foods that contain fiber were protective, or if a high-fiber diet influenced other factors (such as caloric intake) that prevented the polyps.

" It probably takes years for a high-fiber diet to have an impact on colon cancer, " says Dr. Michael Choti, a surgical oncologist and director of the Johns Hopkins Colorectal Cancer Center. "But STARTING SUCH A DIET - ANYTIME - IN LIFE IS HELPFUL FOR PREVENTING CONSTIPATION, AND IT MAY HAVE AN ANTICANCER BENEFIT."


Bulking Up

It's important to adjust fiber intake gradually over a period of one or two weeks to avoid the abdominal discomfort that often accompanies sudden increases. Moderation is particularly important for older people because their bowel function may be sluggish. But it's not necessary to worry about which kind of fiber you're getting (most plants contain a mixture of both types) or to count grams carefully. Consuming a variety of fruits, vegetables and grains throughout the day (three to five servings of vegetables, two to four servings of fruits, and six to eleven servings of grains) should bring your intake up to the 25 GRAM GOAL .

Because fiber needs fluid to be effective , it's important to drink about sixty-four (64) ounces of water daily (approx. 2 litres) . Fiber supplements (such as Citrucel, FiberCon, GenFiber, Hyrocil and Metamucil) should be used ONLY on the recommendation of your doctor. Taken properly, they may help with constipation and cholesterol levels, but their anticancer benefit is questionable. Relying on fiber supplements is unwise because they don't contain the MANY ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS FOUND IN HIGH-FIBER FOODS.


This article taken from the Johns Hopkins Medical Letter
" Health After 50 ".
Volume 8 - Issue 7 - September 1996

November 13/96 - UPDATE
Here's a status report on what the latest research shows:
The most effective lifestyle measure for preventing colorectal cancer is to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, all of which are high - fiber foods. According to a report in Cancer Bulletin , 11 of 14 controlled studies have found that people who consume an adequate amount of dietary fiber are less likely to develop colon cancer then those who do not. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends a minimum of five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, and at least six daily servings of whole grains, for a total of 30 grams of fiber a day (recommended daily requirement). But the average American consumes only about 11 grams of fiber per day. A 1992 analysis of 13 populations around the world concluded that if Americans boosted fiber intake to the recommended amount, the incidence of colon cancer would drop by about one-third . There are two types of fiber - soluble and insoluble - while both are beneficial, insoluble fiber appears to confer the clearest anticancer benefit. It is better to get fiber from foods rather than from supplements (such as Metamucil, Fibercon, and Effer-syllium) because these products generally contain only soluble fiber.. This information taken from the Johns Hopkins Medical Letter
" Health After 50 ".
Volume 8 - Issue 9 - November 1996

We would like you to remember that the various flavors of Lifestyles® Dream Cookies have from 6 - 10 grams of fiber in each cookie. They are tasty, reasonably priced, convenient and, obviously, very good for you ! If you find it difficult to get your 5 servings of fruit and 6 servings of vegetables EACH day, why not eat a delicious Lifestyles® high - fiber cookie ( or two ) !!?

April 25/97 - UPDATE
Here's a recent article from University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter:
THE ARTHRITIS CURE - Does it Really Work? (This) is the jacket blurb of The Arthritis Cure by Dr. Jason Theodosakis of the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson (plus two co-authors). The blurb is an eye catcher, for sure, if you are one of the 16 million Americans with osteoarthritis (OA). The book is major bestseller. Is it just another six-month wonder that will make the authors rich? Or does it have something to offer. Some of the advice for managing OA offered in The Arthirtis Cure is standard (weight control, a balanced diet, exercise). (Wellness Letter recommendation follows) ..Bottom Line: If you have OA, don't give up conventional treatments. Don't abandon a weight loss program, balanced diet, and exercise program in favor of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate (Dr. Theodosakis's advice in the book to take these two products).

This information taken from the University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter,
Volume 13, Issue 8, May 1997

July 30/97 - UPDATE
Here's a recent clipping from the Vancouver Sun Newspaper:
OTTAWA - Health Canada has ordered manufacturers of laxatives containing a suspected cancer-causing ingredients to stop selling their products by Aug 8th unless they can prove they are safe.
The department is also advising consumers to avoid using stimulant laxatives containing an ingredient called phenophthalein. The compound is contained in more than 50 laxatives on the market, including Ex-lax, Philips Gel-caps, Feen-a-mint, Carter Little Liver pills, Agarol, Laxol, Docuphen and Herbalax.
In a July 8 letter to manufacturers, Health Canada's therapeutic products directorate says phenophthalein "poses a carcinogenic risk to users that outweighs its medical benefit."
The letter follows recent studies by the National Toxicolgy Program in the U.S. that found the compound has "carcinogenic potential in rodents," U.S. Food and Drug Administration official Susan Cruzan said Tuesday.
The compound is under review in the U.S. and the FDA has asked manufacturers to provide additional information "to establish the safety of these ingredients," Cruzan said. The FDA will review the evidence before deciding whether to restrict the use of phenophthalein, she said.
Health Canada has asked manufacturers to "stop sale of the product within 30 days of the date of the letter unless they have evidence to demonstrate the safety of the product," said Dr. Thea Mueller, a drug evaluator in the Bureau of Pharmaceutical Assessment in the Health Protection Branch.
The health department has not issued a consumer alert or bulletin about products containing phenophthalein, although Mueller believes consumers should avoid them. "We're still analysing the situation," Mueller said. She said Health Canada officials will meet Aug 6th "to consolidate an official position."
In the meantime, "if you think you need a laxative, try something else," Mueller said.

This information taken from the Vancouver Sun Newspaper,
Volume 112, Issue 70, July 30, 1997

Please remember that Lifestyles is in the business of providing safe, sound and effective products for your better health - such as convenient, easy to use High Fiber Dream Cookies .

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