Jeff said:bc said:By the way, can someone tell me the diff between soluble and insoluble
fiber? They're both listed under dietary fiber. Are they both good
for you in the same way?
Soluble fiber is just that, soluble. It actually gets digested and
enters the bloodstream. Insoluble fiber does not get digested and
passes through the digestive system mostly intact, taking a lot of
[censored] with it (pun intended). Each works in similar ways, mainly by
binding to certain chemicals and taking them out of our system.
Soluble fiber can bind to cholesterol in the blood stream, whereas
insoluble fiber can bind to cholesterol in the digestive tract, as
well as maintain health of the entire digestive tract. This is
somewhat of an unsophisticated explanation of how the two different
fibers reduces cholesterol, but good enough to illustrate the basic
concept. Both fibers are very important, and both are found in high
amounts in, what else, but oatmeal. There are other sources of
insolube fiber as well, but they are more rare than the commons
sources of insoluble fiber such as fruits, vegetables, and unprocessed
grains.
Hmmm, I'm not so sure this is right. From the link that joanne posted,
quoted below, it would appear that soluable fiber is not digested, but
instead is "stickiest" and may remove bile from the digestive tract,
which impedes fat digestion, thus reducing cholesterol and sugar in the
blood. Thanks for a good link joaane.
- bc
Quoted message said:From http://www.jhbmc.jhu.edu/cardiology/rehab/fiber.html
"WHAT IS DIETARY FIBER?
There is more to fiber than crunch. What Grandma calls roughage,
scientists know as fiber. Fiber is an undigestable complex carbohydrate
found in plants. Fiber is not a single food or substance. Fiber in
itself has no calories because the body cannot absorb it. Therefore,
high fiber foods low in fat are low in calories such as fruits and
vegatables. Fiber can be divided into two categories according to their
physical characteristics and effects on the body: Water insoluble and
water soluble. Each form functions differently and provides different
health benefits. Insoluble fibers, such as cellulose, hemicellulose and
lingnin, do not dissolve in water. Soluble fibers, such as gum and
pectin, do dissolve in water.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF FIBERS
If you have been doctoring your with bran in the hopes of getting
fiber's benefits, what you are mostly getting are larger, softer
stools. This kind of fiber "bulks up" waste and moves it through the
colon more rapidly, preventing constipation and possibly colon cancer.
The trickiest accomplishments of fiber may lie with the stickiest kinds
called gums and pectins, as they may keep cholesterol under control by
removing bile acids that digest fat. The same types of fiber may
regulate blood sugar as well. This is accomplished by coating the gut's
lining and delaying stomach emptying. As a result, they can slow sugar
absorption after a meal and may reduce the amount of insulin needed.
Fiber is a weight watchers dream since fibers called cellulose and
hemicelluloses take up space in the stomach, making us feel full,
therefore food intake is less."
