Digestive Aids Part 2

FIBRE: SOLUBLE AND INSOLUBLE

Fibre comes in two basic forms: soluble (meaning it dissolves in water) and insoluble (it doesn’t).

– Foods high in soluble fibre include oats and oat bran, barley, psyllium husks, flaxmeal, beans, peas, carrots, citrus fruits and apples. This form has been shown to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and stabilize blood sugar by slowing the absorption of sugar from the digestive tract. This makes soluble fibre useful for diabetics, especially since it has been shown to help lower insulin and triglyceride levels. Soluble fibre also has the advantage of being free of the phytates, found in insoluble fibres, which tend to block mineral absorption.

– Insoluble fibre is found in such foods as wheat bran, corn bran, celery and the skins of fruits and root vegetables. Its impressive list of benefits include reducing the risk of intestinal cancers, helping prevent constipation and diverticulitis, absorbing toxins from food and reducing the production of bacterial toxins in the GI tract. Ideally one should balance both soluble and insoluble fibre to get the different benefits they confer.

Psyllium Husks
One of my favourite fibre supplements, psyllium husks, help to alleviate both constipation and diarrhoea, especially when combined with rice or wheat bran. Psyllium husks are an excellent source of soluble fibre, and many studies have shown that they lower cholesterol and triglycerides. Don t confuse psyllium husk powder with psyllium seeds. I find the husks more effective (and unlike the seeds, they don t contribute to carbohydrate intake).

Pectin
Amply supplied in apples, strawberries and citrus fruits, pectin has been shown to be one of the most reliable forms of fibre for lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. By slowing the absorption of sugars from the digestive tract, pectin also helps balance blood sugar levels in diabetics and in those with low blood sugar. Animal studies suggest that pectin can also reduce the accumulation of plaque on the walls of the heart’s arteries.

According to animal studies, pectin seems to improve the intestinal tract’s ability to function and even its size, a benefit that may be important for those with impaired digestive ability. Pectin may also be an important fibre supplement for those who experience a thinning of the gut wall, due to the effects of such medications as antibiotics and anti-inflammatory painkillers. Pectin supplements also proved valuable to survivors of the Chernobyl radiation disaster by keeping their antioxidant levels normal and thus protecting them from the radiation they had absorbed. This is probably the result of its ability to prevent absorption of toxins.

Pectin does not have the bulking effect that other fibre sources do because it is completely metabolized by bacteria in the intestine. Therefore you shouldn’t take pectin to relieve constipation. Do take it if you want to balance blood sugar, lower cholesterol, help your body remove toxins and promote the health of your GI tract.

Flaxmeal
Though used frequently as a supplement, flaxmeal is technically a food because it consists of nothing more than ground flaxseed. Although it contains carbohydrates, the percentage is quite low when compared with other high-fibre foods. At the same time, its health-enhancing benefits are impressive.

The various fibres and fatty acids in freshly ground flaxmeal are extremely effective in relieving constipation and inflamma-tory bowel problems. Even better, these pulverized seeds contain lignans, compounds that help promote female hormone balance and reduce the risk of female hormone-related cancers. This dual action makes flaxmeal my fibre of choice for the management of such cancers, as well as PMS, fibroids, endometriosis, menopausal symptoms and a range of other problems related to female hormonal imbalance.

To make your own flaxmeal, buy organic flaxseeds and grind them in a small coffee grinder or food processor. This is impor-tant for optimal freshness and benefit. A few companies have come out with ground flaxmeal that is reasonably stable when kept refrigerated. Those with weak digestive tracts may want to soak their flaxseeds in water overnight before grinding them. (This will help you digest them more easily.) I usually recommend 1-3 tablespoons per day dissolved in water or mixed with semisolid food such as soured cream. It’s better to take them early in the day, for these energizing flaxseeds make it difficult to fall asleep if ingested towards evening.

Low-carbohydrate dieters should note that 25 grams of flaxmeal contains 11 grams of carbohydrates, 6 of which are fibre, leaving only 5 grams of digestible carbohydrates.

Guar Gum
A gel-forming fibre extracted from the Indian cluster bean, guar gum, like other soluble fibres, has been shown to lower cholesterol, and does so by up to 28 per cent. Because it helps slow the release of sugar from GI tract, it therefore may be useful for Type I or Type II diabetics who want to keep their blood sugar and insulin levels under better control. High blood pressure levels also decrease on guar gum supplements.

I would prescribe guar gum routinely in diabetic patients were it not for one side effect: gas. In addition, the trade-off for guar gum’s slower release of sugar is a longer digestion process. Users of guar gum can counter this delay by taking some insoluble fibre.

Oat Bran
According to numerous studies done over many decades, both whole oats and the bran extracted from it lower cholesterol. Though the effect is a mild one, it is nevertheless well established. The active agent in oat bran that lowers cholesterol appears to be beta glucan, which is also found in barley. This substance increases the body’s excretion of cholesterol. Perhaps beta-glucan supplements will display even more cholesterol-lowering power than oat bran. However, whole oat bran may be more helpful than the extract and has the added benefit of being an easy-to-use ingredient in many recipes.

Wheat and Rice Bran
The soluble fibre in wheat bran is lent for eliminating constipation and softening the stool. It may also help to raise levels of the beneficial HDL cholesterol. Most people tolerate wheat bran well, including those with wheat allergies. Why? Because the protein that triggers these allergies is not present in the bran portion of the plant. (However, if you are severely wheat sensitive, use wheat bran only under the supervision of your doctor.) Wheat bran also helps regulate oestrogen levels and, like flaxmeal, may be useful in the prevention and treatment of such hormonal-related disorders as uterine fibroids, endometriosis and breast cancer.

Another excellent source of insoluble fibre is rice bran, which also contains valuable compounds such as gamma-oryzanol and tocotrienols.

Modified Citrus Pectin
A special form of soluble fibre, modified citrus pectin (MCP), has been shown in animal studies to help prevent the spread of cancer in the body, particularly prostate cancer. MCP is made by breaking down pectin’s long- chain molecules into smaller ones that the body can absorb. Once absorbed, these short-chain molecules appear to stop the growth and progression of cancer in the body. Regular pectin cannot do this because it is not small enough to be absorbed.

In lab animals given MCP, cancer metastasizes or spreads to new places at only half its usual rate. In humans, MCP enhances the action of natural killer cells, important members of our immune system. (Though additional human research still needs to be done, some research shows that MCP stimulates the immune system.

This suggests that MCP may prove valuable in the fight against other cancers besides prostate cancer.)

Treatment doses are high – about 15 grams per day, usually in powder form to help keep down the cost of this expensive supplement. At the Atkins Center, MCP is used routinely for patients in all stages of prostate cancer, and a very small percentage of them develop disseminated disease. Our experience, however, was meant to be simply good patient care, not a scientific study.