Do I Need to Take a Fiber Supplement?

Question: I’m trying to eat all grain pasta and bread, but I don’t know if I have enough fiber in my diet. Can I take a supplement of fiber?

Ideally, you want the food you eat to achieve your daily fiber requirements. Unfortunately, many common pizza and pasta foods, and subs for snacks, are not good fiber sources. Taking a fiber supplement is a great way to fill the gaps but it is best to maximize your intake of fiber rich food.

How much fiber do I have every day?

We hear a lot about the benefits of fiber. But, how much do we need? According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences, for 50 and younger people, the recommended daily intake of total fiber is 38 grams for men and 25 grams for women. Of people over 50, men were 30 grams and girls 21 grams.

How much fiber do we get?

In the last decade, fiber intake has remained around half the recommended quantity despite efforts to promote adequate fiber through fruit, vegetables and whole-grain consumption. In fact, over 90 percent of adults and children do not fulfill their recommendations on fiber. Using a fiber supplement can help fill the diet holes.

Not sure how much fiber you get every day?

For a week, I suggest that you complete a food log. Calorie Count, a free online software, makes it super easy to assess how much fibers you are using along with other macro and micronutrients. Yvette La-Garde, VitaMedica’s education director says, “On Calorie Count, I monitored my food intake for 7 days. Although I’m very healthy and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, I was surprised to learn that my average fiber intake was only 20 grams daily.

What are fiber health benefits?

Through adding bulk to the stool, fiber facilitates daily bowel movement. Preventing constipation, the most common gastrointestinal condition, reduces your risk of hemorrhoid problems, fissures, scratching or other serious colorectal problems. In addition to encouraging regularity, high fiber consumption is related to a range of other health advantages: heart health. Fiber helps to raise HDL or “healthy” levels of cholesterol by increasing LDL or “poor” levels of cholesterol.

Colon nutrition – Fiber helps to remove wastes and toxins, purify the colon by sweeping and removing them. Studies have demonstrated that dietary fiber is colorectal cancer safe. Fiber is often prescribed to decrease symptoms such as abdominal pain for people with IBS, a common gastrointestinal complaint.

Control of weight – Various fiber types can affect satiety and energy intake. Fiber will help you to lose weight by making you feel complete. Fiber also reduces glucose absorption, stabilizing blood sugar and energy levels.

What is Fiber Dietary?

• Dietary fibers are derived from plant sources (nuts, whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables) and are categorized as soluble or insoluble. Although most plants incorporate both forms, foods are often categorized by predominance of soluble or insoluble fiber. Many products, such as flax seed, have an insoluble to soluble fiber ratio that is more organic.
• Vegetarianism: All you need to learn about soluble fiber. This kind of fiber is not digested but forms a gel-like material and swells when mixed with water.
• Soluble fiber sometimes labeled’ prebiotic’ fiber can be fermented in the large intestine with bacteria. Soluble fiber can help relieve diarrhea, constipation and abdominal discomfort and plays a role in intestinal health. Soluble fiber also has cardiovascular benefits for lowering total cholesterol, LDL or “wrong” Cholesterol. Soluble fibres, which is beneficial for people with diabetes, reduces blood glucose levels.
• Fiber insoluble – Also known as “roughage,” this form of fiber does not dissolve in water and is largely intact across our intestines. Insoluble fibers pass bulk through the intestines and hold us “normal.” Insoluble fibres, including risk decreases, and colorectal cancer, hemorrhoids and constipation are correlated with intestinal health.
• Resistant starch: New fiber in weight control resistant starch. resistant starch. Work has yet identified a third type of fiber known as resistant starch. In the small intestine resistant starch (carbohydrate), as the name implies. Instead, this starch passes through the big intestine, where the starch acts like dietary fiber by fermentation. Since this form of starch is not digested, it is referred to as a non-glycemic carbohydrate.
• Consumption of foodstuffs containing organic, resistant starch has a positive impact on weight management by increasing satiety (full sense) and altering the secretion of food digestion hormones. Resistant starch can contribute to burning fat and can lead to less fat.
• Good source of fiber soluble fiber from Simple Carbs to Slow Carbs includes oat/oat, dried beans and peas, nuts, gardens, fruit (such as oranges and apples), vegan food (such as carrots) and psyllium seed husk. Two kinds of soluble fiber are inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides(FOS), which is sometimes combined with probiotics to enhance the growth of beneficial bacteria within the digestive tract.
• Insoluble fiber sources include whole grain meat, wheat and corn bran, nuts and seeds, beans, and skins of certain fruits, including berries.
• In foods like whole grains and legumes, resistant starch is found naturally. A half cup of cooked Marine beans, for example, contains 9.8 grams of resistant starch.

How can I get more nutrients from your diet?

One of the best ways to get more fiber is to eat whole foods, such as fruit, vegetables, peas, whole grains, nuts and fiber seeds. For a determination of the quantity of fiber in a broad range of foods, refer to the food fiber content.

Here are a few tips for increasing the intake of fiber from whole foods:

• Add fresh fruit to yogurt or smoothies.
• Complete soups, stews and salads with beans.
• Substitute white rice for brown rice or an old plant such as quinoa.
• Turn off high fiber carbohydrates like lettuce, carrots and broccoli.
• Snack on a piece of fresh (pear or apple) fruit or dried (fig, raisins and apricots) fruit.
• Apply nuts and seeds in addition to salads of almonds and sunflower seeds.
• Snack with hummus on raw veggies.
• Eat a fruit bowl with berries (shrimp, blackberries, blueberries).
• “I see every eating opportunity to add a fruit or vegetable. Ms. La-Garde gives us this advice. I add bell pepper and mushrooms and put tomato slices on my side, when I make an omelet. I purchase flat, healthy Greek yogurt and add fresh fruit. Instead I start with nuts and flax seed. There is only onion, bell pepper, cucumber, carrot and chick peas in my salads. I make most soups with legumes and beans.
• I’m only trying to serve two or three vegetables at dinner time. For dinner, I’m also going to serve fruit and berries.

What about Whole Grains?

• According to the 2010 dietary guidelines, at least half of all the grains consumed each day (i.e., intact, ground, cracked or flaked) should be whole. The kernel, or seed, of the grain plant has all three main intact components: bran, germ and endosperm, determines a whole grain. In bran and grain germ, key nutrients and fiber are found.
• Whole Grain & Brown Rice Reduce the risk of diabetes
• While whole grains are a great fiber source, you must be careful with labels. Many products may be misleading, so that you can believe that they are whole grain. Real whole grain items are marked as “whole grain” or “whole wheat of 100%.”
• Check for the whole seed stamp on the package. The 100% stamp means that all seed ingredients of the item are whole grains. A minimum of 16 g of whole grains per serving is required for the 100 percent stamp. The Basic Stamp means a product that contains at least 8 g whole grains per serving but can also include other refined grains.

What are new grains?

• Most of us limit our grains to barley, maize, oats, rice and wheat, but add some old grains to your diet. In everything from breads to pasta, ancient grains such as film, amaranth, spelt, kamut, wheatberry, teff, chia seeds and farro show up. We offer different tastes and textures than traditional grains.
• Although not all grains (some are grasses or seeds), the old grains are theoretically higher than other grains in proteins, omega 3s and phytonutrients. They are also a strong fiber source. Some are safe for people with wheat allergies and gluten intolerance, not all old grains.

Which kinds of supplements of fibers are available?

You will see a wide range of nutrients in fiber if you were on the digestive aisle of your local drugstore or Whole Foods.

Powder, gel, wafer, and chewable tablets are available for the manufacture of products. Powders provide a higher fiber level per servings (approximately 3-6 grams) than capsules (approximately 1-2 grams) with 3 to 5 capsules.

Digestive Health Guidelines: Download our PDF

Several companies such as Metamucil are formulating their drug with one ingredient while others use a fiber blend. The brand you choose depends on your needs and taste preferences.

Here is a list of the main ingredients, uses and advantages of fiber supplements:

Psyllium – The active ingredient in Metamucil and Konsyl is a soluble fiber from plant seeds or husks. India is a major psyllium supplier where the crop is cultivated with heavy use of insecticides and pesticides.

Search for products that sell organically grown psyllium when taking this supplement. NOW Foods sells a 100% organic substitute for psyllium. Because psyllium is digested, a portion contains around 50 calories, which can cause gas.

• Methylcellulose – In Citrucel, cellulose is an insoluble fiber derived from the plant cell wall. Methylcellulose, called “life laxative,” is less likely to cause intestinal gas as the fibers are not fermented in the stomach.
• Polycarbophil – The active ingredient in FiberCon, is an insoluble fiber formed by plants. Bloating is less likely than psyllium and is used to treat constipation, IBS, and diverticulosis.
• Fiber of vegetables and fruit – Among nuts, fruit, berries and seeds, including apples, carrots, snow, bananas and citrus fruits, pectins are naturally found Typically, vegetable and fruit fibers come from several sources, including apple pectin, acacia fiber and carob powder, in more’ organic’ products. Most pectins are a soluble fiber origin that slows through food in the digestive tract and reduces blood cholesterol – Futurebiotics provides a 500 mg apple pectin supplement per serving.
• Seed of flax – Ground flax seed is a great source of fiber that is soluble and insoluble. Flax seeds also contain lignans, a breast and prostate-related phytonutrient. Fiber-3 is sold by NOW Foods, which includes organic flax seed meal, organic acacia and bioinulin.
• Guar Gum – Guar gum is derived from the guar bean crop soil endosperm. SunFiber® is a formulated product blended to provide a satiety effect for guar gum, apple pectin, plum, arabinogalactan lark, and green tea phytosomes.
• FOS & Inulin – A type of soluble fiber derived from several fruits and vegetables, including chicory root, artichoke and onions in Jerusalem. As a prebiotic, inulin is a source of food for beneficial bacteria in the GI tract. Probiotic-8 of VitaMedica is formulated with inulin.
• Beta-glucan – Soluble fiber is naturally found in plant, algae, bacterial, fungal and yeast cell walls. Beta-glucan is widely used to lower cholesterol.
• Glucomannan – A soluble fiber form derived from the root of Konjac that is ideal for constipation, cholesterol maintenance and weight management. LeanBiotics ‘ Prebiotic with glucomannan is formulated.
• Dextrins – Short-chain, starch-made carbohydrates are soluble. Wheat dextrin comes from wheat starch and is used in processed foods to add protein. Fibersol2 ® is a marketed ingredient made of maize fiber that contributes to constipation alleviation. Fibersol2 has been shown to suppress post-meal hunger and to increase hormones of satiety.

How to Take Fiber Supplements

Continue gradually when you take an additional fiber. Too much fiber can lead to bloating, gas, cramping too quickly. Gradually increase the amount of fiber you take every day to adapt to the change in the beneficial bacteria on your GI tract. Drink plenty of water to prevent constipation and blockage of the intestine while taking a fiber supplement. Some medicines interact with fiber supplements so that you should talk to your doctor before you take a fiber supplement.

Fiber, for example, can reduce medicines such as aspirin and warfarin (Coumadin) absorption.

Usually take medicines at least an hour before or two hours after a fiber supplement has been taken.

Excess fiber can bind to and reduce the absorption of iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium minerals.