Information on high fiber diets.

Information concerning high fiber diets.

High Fiber Diet

There are several advantages of a high fiber diet. But before taking a look at the advantages, let us find out what "fiber" is.

What is Fiber?

Dietary fiber is a complex carbohydrate. It is the part of the plant material that cannot be digested and absorbed in the bloodstream. There are two types of fiber - Soluble and Insoluble. Most foods contain mixtures of Soluble and Insoluble fibers.

Soluble Fiber: It dissolves and thickens in water to form a gel. Good sources of soluble fiber include dried beans and legumes, oatmeal, oat bran, barley and citrus fruits. This type of fiber may help with weight loss as it makes you feel full longer. Research has shown that this type of fiber may also help lower blood cholesterol.

Insoluble Fiber: Usually referred to as 'roughage', includes the woody or structural parts of plants, such as fruit and vegetable skins, wheat bran, and whole-grain cereals. This type of fiber tends to speed up the passage of material through the digestive tract and reduce the risk of colon cancer, as well as diverticular disease.

Advantages of high fiber diet:

High Fiber Diet Lowers Blood Glucose in Diabetics

A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine reports that diabetic patients who included 50 grams of fiber in their daily diet lowered their glucose levels by 10%. Fifty grams is a lot of fiber: about twice as much as the American Diabetes Association recommends, and nearly 3 times as much fiber as most Americans consume in a day.

The high-fiber diet also decreased insulin levels in the blood and lowered blood lipid concentrations in study patients with type II diabetes, or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, the most prevalent type of diabetes.

High Fiber Diet Halts Heartburn

A new study shows if you have frequent and persistent heartburn you are probably better off sticking to a high-fiber, low-fat diet. Researchers say this is the first time they been shown protect against gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD).

GERD, or heartburn, leads to symptoms of acid indigestion, which affects about one in five Americans. Most people have GERD when the esophagus comes in contact with stomach acids. Left untreated, GERD can lead to ulcers and bleeding of the esophagus. It can also increase the risk of cancer of the esophagus.

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