Although the daily recommended amount of fiber to include in your diet ranges between 21 to 38 g for adults, most Americans only consume between 12 and 15 g a day. Fiber is known to prevent constipation, but this benefit is not the only one and is actually mainly due to the insoluble portion of the total dietary fiber. Insoluble fiber helps keep your intestines regular by adding bulk to your stools and is mainly found in wheat bran and whole grains.
Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber has the characteristic of being able to absorb fluids. You may have noticed that some foods such as oat flakes or flaxseeds create a little gooey and gelatinous substance around them when left in water or milk. The same things happens in your body. The soluble fiber in your diet absorbs water and other fluids to form a gel-like substance in your gastrointestinal tract, conferring soluble fiber with unique health benefits.
Food Sources
Oatmeal, oat bran and barley provides about 1 g of soluble fiber per 1/2 cup cooked, while 1 tbsp. of raw oat bran contains 0.3 g and 1 tbsp. of psyllium contains 5 g. Flaxseeds, beans and lentils provide significant amounts of soluble fiber as do citrus fruits, pears, apples, Brussels sprouts, eggplants and okra. Guar and pectin are two ingredients rich in soluble fiber that are often added to foods by food manufacturers.
Soluble Fiber and Blood Cholesterol Levels
One of the benefits provided by soluble fiber is its cholesterol-lowering capacity. Although the precise mechanism by which this type of fiber can exert this action is unclear, a large-scale meta-analysis showed that each gram of soluble fiber can lower both total and LDL cholesterol levels by 1.1 to 2.7 mg/dL, as reported in the January 1999 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Soluble Fiber and Diabetes
Soluble fiber also has the property of regulating blood sugar levels, which can be especially helpful for people with diabetes. Including sources of soluble fiber at each meal can help you avoid blood sugar level spikes and maintain your blood sugar levels stability after eating. People with diabetes are recommended to keep their blood sugar levels below 180 mg/dL one to two hours after a meal.
Soluble Fiber and Gastrointestinal Health
Soluble fiber, by forming a gel, is gentle on the intestinal tract and can be useful for people diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. People with diarrhea can benefit from adding soluble fiber to their diets because this fiber will help slow down the intestinal transit to allow the formation of normal stools. Moreover, soluble fiber can also prevent constipation by keeping the stools soft and preventing the formation of hard and dry stools.
References
- Health Castle: Fiber 101: Soluble Fiber vs Insoluble Fiber
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Food Sources of Soluble Fiber
- MedlinePlus: Fiber
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Cholesterol-Lowering Effects of Dietary Fiber: a Meta-Analysis
- Diabetes Monitor: Soluble and Insoluble Fiber
- IBS Treatment Center: Fiber
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