Women's Health - Fiber: Cholesterol, Saturated and Unsaturated Fats

Fiber Can Save Your Life!

Not too many years ago, we thought we were doing ourselves a big favor getting rid of the skins, husks and tough, spiny parts of food. Now our supermarket shelves are filled with soft white breads and processed foods and we're dying untimely deaths from a host of degenerative diseases. Ironically, it turns out that maintaining a multiple source, high fiber, low fat diet may be the best form of life insurance we can provide for ourselves!

Two major types of fiber exist in the typical diet -- soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibers break down within the digestive tract while insoluble fibers pass through essentially unchanged. Within each of these two main fiber types are many different subtypes, all from different plant sources.

If you were to leave a portion of potato salad out in 98 degree heat for a day or two, it would form toxic substances. The longer the salad sat out, the more toxic it would become. Similar processes occur in the waste products that linger inside your large intestine. Because a high fiber diet dramatically decreases the length of time waste products spend in your colon, potentially toxic and carcinogenic (cancer-causing) materials are quickly ousted.

Soluble fiber works like a sponge, absorbing toxins and carrying them away while producing beneficial chemical changes within the bloodstream. Insoluble fiber works like a scrub brush to clean the inside of the colon.

What do research studies show?
Studies have shown that compared to non-industrialized populations (where people consume diets high in dietary fiber), people in industrialized countries have much higher incidences of coronary artery disease, colon cancer, obesity, diabetes and various gastro-intestinal disorders such as constipation, diverticulosis, hiatus and abdominal hernias, hemorrhoids and gall stones. Many studies have supported the link between fiber and these diseases.

Heart Disease
In dietary experiments, large quantities of soluble fiber such as pectin, guar, barley and oat bran have been found to reduce blood cholesterol, an important risk factor in the development of coronary artery disease.

Colon Cancer
Colon cancer is the number two cancer killer, second only to lung
cancer. In the U.S., with 150,000 new cases reported each year, colon cancer kills 60,000 Americans annually. Five percent of all men and six percent of all women born in the U.S. will develop colon cancer sometime in their life. Studies done on large populations suggest that a high fiber diet provides protection against colon cancer while a high fat diet increases the risks.

Breast Cancer
A recent study published in the journal of the National Cancer Institute suggests that a high fiber diet might help prevent breast cancer. In 1961, an American woman's risk of getting breast cancer was 1 in 20, in 1992 her chances were 1 in 9, and in 1994 they were 1 in 8!

Obesity
Depending on whose statistics you read, twenty to thirty percent of Americans are carrying around enough extra weight to be at risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other degenerative diseases associated with obesity. Insoluble fiber in the diet acts as a food filler, increasing the sense of fullness after a meal, thus lowering the craving for excess food. In addition, studies have shown that a high-fiber diet significantly reduces the amount of dietary fat absorbed by the body.

Diabetes
According to a statement released by the U.S. Surgeon General, increasing the level of fiber in the diet of people with diabetes (or at risk of developing diabetes) may help lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations.

Constipation and Varicose Veins
Even difficult cases of constipation such as those resulting from long-term laxative or enema abuse may be successfully treated with fiber. In addition, repeated straining associated with chronic constipation can lead to varicose veins, as blood flows back down the legs, dilating and stretching the veins.

Diverticulosis
Diverticulosis is a condition in which small sac-like swellings protrude out of the wall of the colon and into the abdominal cavity. Complications can include bleeding, infection and even intestinal obstruction, all potentially requiring surgery. In the U.S., most people over age 60 have diverticulosis to some degree. The absorbing sponge and the scrubbing brush of soluble and insoluble fibers may help keep the condition in check.

Hiatal Hernia
To reach your stomach, your esophagus passes through an opening in the diaphragm called the hiatus. When the tissue around the hiatus weakens, part of the stomach may protrude through the opening into the chest cavity. Called hiatal hernia, this condition causes symptoms similar to having an ulcer, including heartburn. About 25% of people over age 50 have hiatal hernia, often with no symptoms. Some scientists believe that increasing fiber intake may help prevent hiatus hernia.

Hemorrhoids
Like varicose veins, hemorrhoids are veins that have become swollen, often due to straining during periods of constipation. Fiber makes constipation less likely and decreases the chances of developing hemorrhoids (or irritating the ones you've got).

Gall Stones
Gall stones are crystalline structures that collect in the gallbladder and sometimes obstruct the ducts connecting the gallbladder and liver to the duodenum (the upper part of the small intestine), causing severe pain. Fiber in the diet may reduce the tendency to form gall stones, which are composed mainly of cholesterol, along with chemicals from the bile.

How Much Fiber?
Americans eat an average of 12 grams of dietary fiber each day, way below the 25 to 35 grams recommended by the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society (or the 40 to 50 recommended by some nutritional experts). You can increase your fiber intake by eating more whole grain foods and cereal products, vegetables, fruits and beans. Note: As you increase your fiber intake, be sure to drink more water.

What About Fiber Supplements?
If you can't (or won't) change your diet to include sufficient high-fiber foods, consider taking fiber supplements, available in the form of pills, capsules and meal replacements. Meal-replacement supplements should be low in calories (200-300 per serving) and contain 8 to 11 grams of multiple source fiber. Find a supplement that is vitamin-fortified, convenient and (important!) pleasant tasting -- otherwise it'll just collect dust on the pantry shelf.

This article is for information purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Your health and lifestyle may make the outcomes different for you. You should consult with a physician or other health-care professional familiar with nutrition, prevention, and related health issues.