Archive for August, 2008

Fiber

Fiber seems to be in just about every food in your supermarket - even in foods such as ice creams, yogurts and drinks that have never been good sources of fiber in the past. This means if a food is not a good source of fiber it has to be added.

Not all fiber is created equal; It is important to have both soluble and insoluble fiber in your diet. Quote from CSPI “The kind of fiber that’s linked to a lower risk of heart disease isn’t the kind that lowers cholesterol”. When your diet is from fruits, vegetables and grains you are consuming both insoluble and soluble fibers, you do not need to put a lot of thought into the type of fiber you are eating.

Researchers are not sure if the fiber alone prevents disease or if it the phytoestrogens, antioxidants, lignans,vitamins and minerals the fiber contains.

When you purchase a product that claims to be high in fiber make sure that whole wheat or grains are first or second in the list of ingredients. Companies often use ingredients such as inulin (chicory root) that has not been proven to be a good source of fiber or well absorbed by your body. 

Source: Center For Science In The Public Interest.