New Thoughts on Fiber

A few weeks ago I wrote some thoughts on psyllium seed husks and their benefits as a fiber supplement.  It's still a better fiber as far as a fiber supplement goes. But there’s still more to come on the topic. Ideally we should be getting our fiber from whole food sources for our digestive tract to run smoothly.

The problem is many manufacturers are adding in extra fiber to entice the public to buy their products. While this may offer some benefits, these are what we call “functional foods.”

The problem is they may not always offer you the benefits you really need. Sources of fiber are ground very fine to be put in a food, reducing some of their ability to act like real fiber found in fresh foods. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, this fiber doesn’t exactly slow digestion, lower cholesterol or even improve regularity compared to actual high fiber whole foods. Best sources of course are fruits (especially berries and anything with seeds), vegetables, and whole grain foods that you actually cook (not instant forms) and leafy greens. Most Americans are only getting about 12-15 grams of fiber when we should be getting closer to 25-30 grams a day. Some health authorities suggest colon cancer may be reduced by obtaining 35 grams of fiber daily.