The Importance of Dietary Fiber

While there are many types of fiber that interest food chemists, there are only a few that need concern the public:

• Insoluble Fiber - This fiber does not dissolve in water, nor is it fermented by the bacteria in the gut.  Rather, it retains water and in so doing helps to promote a softer, bulkier stool.  This, in turn, may be of importance in sweeping out certain toxins and cancer-causing carcinogens.
• Soluble Fiber -These fibers are fermented by colon bacteria.  These bacteria need their own nourishment and food source.  The health benefits these bugs provide is strictly dependent on the amounts of soluble fiber.
• Prebiotic Soluble Fiber - There are specialized types of soluble fibers which have been demonstrated to have the most positive health benefits, as found in established medical research centers.  The three that have been definitively proven are inulin, oligofrustose and galacto-oligosaccharide.

In summary, all plant fiber has both insoluble and soluble fiber in it.  However, the amount varies.  Wheat and corn fiber are 90% insoluble, while oats is about 50/50.  Artichokes are very high in soluble fiber.  Eating 25-35 grams per day of varied plant-based food will provide a well-balanced amount of fiber inulin.  A dietary fiber supplement such as Prebiotin™ can also be used.

Health Benefits of Prebiotic Fibers

It is remarkable to know the health benefits that are provided when adequate amounts of prebiotic plant fibers, yet each of these below is supported by medical research in medical research centers and by peer-reviewed medical journals.

• Increase Good Colon Bacteria
• Increase Calcium Absorption
• Enhance Immune System
• Reduce Triglycerides Level
• Control Appetite and Weight
• Reduce Colon Polyp and Cancer Factors
• Increase Satiety and Weight Loss
• Improve Bowel Regularity
• Increase Bone Density
• Decrease Bad Colon Bacteria
• Reduce Allergies and Asthma
• Improve Colon and Body Health
• Decrease Flatus Smell

While prebiotic fibers are distributed widely in nature in small amounts, they are particularly concentrated in the following vegetables:

• Onions
• Garlic
• Bananas
• Leeks
• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Chicory Root
• Yams
• Wheat (Small Amount)

Fiber and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common disorders of the lower digestive tract. The symptoms of IBS can be quite varied.  They can be mostly of one type or a mix of several symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, crampy abdominal discomfort, bloating and gas.  An attack of IBS can be triggered by emotional tension and anxiety, poor dietary habits and certain medications.  It is now known that infections in the intestine can lead to long-term IBS symptoms.  Increased amounts of fiber in the diet can help relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome by producing soft, bulky stools.  This helps to normalize the time it takes for the stool to pass through the colon.  Irritable bowel syndrome, if left untreated, may lead to diverticulosis of the colon.

IBS patients need to be careful of the amount of soluble fiber they consume.  The reason for this is that, while the good colon bacteria thrive on these fibers and produce health benefits, the bad gas-forming bacteria may generate excessive gas and subsequent bloating.  Thus, prebiotic soluble plant fibers or a dietary prebiotic supplement should be taken in small initial doses and then gradually increased to tolerance.

Fiber and Colon Polyps/Cancer

Colon cancer is a major health problem. This disease is most common in Western cultures. Most colon cancer starts out as a colon polyp, a benign mushroom-shaped growth. In time it grows, and in some people it becomes cancerous. Colon cancer is usually always curable, if polyps are removed when found or if surgery is performed at an early stage. It is now known that people can inherit the risk of developing colon cancer, but diet is important, too. There is a very low rate of colon cancer in residents of countries where grains are unprocessed and retain their fiber. It seems that in the Western world, cancer-containing agents (carcinogens) remain in contact with the colon wall for a longer time and in higher concentrations. So, a large bulky stool may act to dilute these carcinogens by moving them through the bowel more quickly. Less carcinogenic exposure to the colon may mean fewer colon polyps and less cancer.

Additionally, there appear to be substances produced in the colon by the good bacteria that seem to retard certain pre-cancer factors from developing.  These are called short-chain fatty acids.

So, the combination of colon bulk and the production of short-chain fatty acids may be cancer-retarding effects.

Fiber and Diverticulosis

Prolonged, vigorous contraction of the colon, usually in the left lower side, may result in diverticulosis. This increased pressure causes small and eventually larger ballooning pockets to form. These pockets usually cause no problems. However, sometimes they can become infected (diverticulitis) or even break open (perforate) causing infection or inflammation within the abdomen (peritonitis). A high-fiber diet increases the bulk in the stool and thereby reduces the pressure within the colon. By so doing, the formation of pockets is reduced or possibly even stopped.

Certain bulking agents such as psyllium are traditional types of supplements.  Psyllium is a soluble fiber.  Combining it with insoluble fiber as in wheat bran or corn bran (no gluten) can enhance this bulking effect even more.  The product Prebiotin Regularity/Diverticulosis™ contains prebiotic, psyllium and wheat bran, an exceptionally good combination for bowel regularity.

In the past, many physicians were fearful that seems as in tomatoes, nuts or berries were harmful and could get inside these pockets and rattle around, causing damage.  We now know that this has never been the case and that these foods contain lots of fiber and are actually beneficial for diverticulosis patients.

Fiber and Gas

Everyone has intestinal gas and that is a good thing.  The normal amount of flatus passed each day depends on sex and what is eaten.  When the bacteria that make intestinal gases are growing it also means that other good bacteria are using the same fibers to grow and produce multiple health benefits, including the production of healthy short-chain fatty acids.  These substances are produced quietly in the colon and produce many health-related outcomes.  The normal number of passes of gas or flatus is 10-20 times a day with men having more.

Soluble fiber should always be used in a gradual manner.  If too much is consumed at any one time, then excess, but harmless, intestinal gas can occur.  People with irritable bowel syndrome are particularly prone to bloating and mild cramping.  Soluble fiber in the diet or supplement should be used in small doses and increased gradually.

Finally, prebiotic fibers tend to cause the production of short-chain fatty acids which acidify the colon.  This in turn reduces or stops the growth of bacteria that make the smelly hydrogen sulfide gases that produce noxious flatus.  People who consume many vegetables with prebiotics or take a prebiotic fiber supplement generally have non-odoriferous flatus.