Talk:Dietary fiber

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[edit] Flaxseed

I think Flax Seed should also be included in this article. I've read it may be better than Psyllium Husk for regularity and clean colon.

I still haven't figured out if this is supposed to a joke. 141.157.118.70 03:42, 6 August 2005 (UTC)

No joke...except on people.

My pain, your gain. It works, and there is alot of honest research out there to confirm it. (Kellogs now promtes it too) Problem is psyllium is cheap. Too effective.

My observation is that much of todays 'scientific' research is by pharamaceutical supported research to find a patented drug that works. Psyllium is natural and cheap. Where is the profit there ?

Research is profit directed, through the back door. The pharmaceuticals take over or control the research.

--Son of Maryann Rosso and Arthur Natale Squitti 15:00, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

And about the flaxseed, it is an esstential oil that lubricates the trac, and other things as well...too simple, too cheap...!

Being in the "business' for some 25 years, I could not accept these worked, and even when having the problems could not believe such simple things would work. Why was "the system" not reserching them, accepting them...?

--Son of Maryann Rosso and Arthur Natale Squitti 15:04, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Tone

The "Choosing your supplement" and "other recommendations" sections need to be rewritten to avoid the imperative and second person. (I don't have time at the moment; I'll do it when I can, but if someone else gets to it first, that's great.) Chuck 20:58, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Rewrite

I rewrote the section on fiber supplements per the cleanup tags. Most of the existing text was advice on taking the supplements, rather than info on the different types. Two important notes:

I removed the mention of Ex-Lax. As far as I can tell, Ex-Lax contains no fiber. It contains a stimulant laxative derived from the Senna (herb) plant.
I also removed the mention of pectin fiber supplements, as I couldn't find any such brand, and this huge list of laxative types doesn't mention pectin supplements (but mentions the other kinds).

As always, I welcome comments or corrections. | MrDarcy talk 01:56, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

This entry, on dietary fiber, appears to be riddled with errors and misunderstandings. For example, why is there a section of fatty acids, which are not fiber? Elsewhere the article says that carbohydrates "are a good source" of fiber. It's true that some carbohydrates are fiber, but most are not. And carbohydrates in general, the kind most people think of--pasta or donuts--are NOT a good source of fiber. It's certainly false to say generally that carbohydrates are a good source of fiber. Eperotao 05:02, 11 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Geographic tag

I strongly disagree with this tag's placement on this page, and I've removed it. Fiber is fiber wherever it is consumed in the world. Its natural sources are not geographically dependent, and its effects ... that's just plain silly. There's one US-centric point, and that is the recommendations from the ADA, a major source of nutrition guidelines worldwide. I supplemented that with the BNF's recommendations. It doesn't appear that many countries issue such guidelines, which is the reason that the ADA's recommendations stood alone. | MrDarcy talk 05:12, 7 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Psyllium

I've cut this section from the top of the discussion page and moved it to this new section for psyllium discussions if warranted. --Paul144 21:04, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

"One of the most versatile sources of dietary fiber is the husk (hull) of seeds from psyllium grain (Plantago ovata), a fiber source with clinically demonstrated properties of lowering blood cholesterol when chronically included in human diets. Psyllium seed husk is 34% insoluble fiber and 66% soluble fiber, providing an optimal division of both types that make it a valuable food additive."

Perhaps this should be removed -- or at least toned down, scientifically qualified, and cited. jrk 15:27, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Cholesterol and obesity

The article mentions these two but provides no references. A quick google dug up this meta-analysis of 67 previous studies, which seems to show the cholesterol-lowering effect is real but almost negligible in practical terms.

As for obesity, I found this and this as examples. The first one notes a correlation between high-fibre (specifically wholegrain) diet and a generally healthy lifestyle, which of course is then correlated with lowered obesity (note no suggestion of causation). The second one promotes the use of high-fibre diet for weight loss in diabetics but notably points out that this is not scientifically proven: "there are no persuasive clinical studies documenting that diets providing generous amounts of fiber-rich foods are more effective in promoting weight-loss than equi-caloric diets restricted in high-fiber foods."

It would be handy if someone more qualified than myself could pad out this aspect of the article - many people reading are going to be wondering whether the specific claims are backed up with solid research. As it stands, brief mentions without qualification are likely to be misleading. (apologies for the quality of these 2 links: they were the first I could find with research info amongst the mass of more fluffy general-public pages)

The following was cut from the fiber article. It presume it mostly duplicates info that is in this article, but someone may want to see if there is anything salvagalble here. ike9898 23:31, 4 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Facts about fiber

[edit] Fiber is essential for maintaining a healthy digestive system.

Dietary fiber, which is obtained solely from foods of plant origin, plays a vital role in the digestive process. These are two types of dietary fiber: solube fiber, which can dissolve in water; and insoluble fiber, which does not have the ability to dissolve in water.

[edit] Soluble fiber

The inclusion of soluble fiber in the diet slows the breakdown of complex carbohydrates, such as starch, into simple sugars, such as glucose, thereby slowing the absorption of sugar and possibly leading to reduced levels of sugar in the blood. During digestion, soluble fiber forms a gel-like mass that binds cholesterol to the stool; if eating in sufficient quantities, soluble fiber can also help reduce the levels of cholesterol in your blood. Good sources of soluble fiber include grains, such as oats, barley and rye, vegetables, fruits, and legumes.

[edit] Insoluble fiber

This type of fiber occurs naturally in brown rice, whole-wheat breads and cereals, seeds, legumes, and in the skins of fruits and vegetables. It is not easily dissolved in water and is not digested or absorbed by the body. However, insoluble fiber's inclusion in the diet helps keep the gastrointestinal tract clean and promotes regular bowel movements. It does this by drawing water into the stools, making them larger; softer and easier to pass.

[edit] The benefits of fiber

Foods that are high in dietary fiber often take longer to eat, and they increase the feeling of fullness after a meal because they slow down the passage of food through the intestine. This improves the body's blood-sugar response because fiber slows the rate at which glucose is released from food. This, in turn, slows the rise of blood-sugar levels so that less insulin is released into the bloodstream. In addition, because fiber-rich foods increase the feeling of fullness, they can help with weight control.

[edit] Fighting disease

By promoting bowel regularity and keeping the gastrointestinal tract clean, inclusion of insoluble fiber in the diet may also reduce the risk of developing conditions such as diverticular disease and constipation. Studies have also shown that a high-fiber diet helps prevent diabetes and as a result of the activity of gut flora, reduces the risk of developing colorectal cancer. This cancer is rare in countries where the traditional diet consists mainly of cereals, fruits and vegetables.

[edit] How much fiber do I need?

According to the latest government guidelines, your total fiber intake should be 20g-40g per day, depending on your age and gender. Most adults in North America, however, get less than 20g of fiber each day. In order to ensure an adequate intake of both soluble and insolube fiber, you should include a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your daily diet.

[edit] Condense

There's a lot of redundant content here. The article needs to be condensed.

Here are two proposals for a layout:

Types of fiber
- Soluble and insoluble fibers
  - Sources
- Fermentable fiber
  - Sources
- Short-chain fatty acids
  - Sources
Guidelines on fiber intake
See also
Further reading
References
External links

Types of fiber
- Soluble and insoluble fibers
- Fermentable fiber
- Short-chain fatty acids
Guidelines on fiber intake
Sources of fiber
See also
Further reading
References
External links

Depending on how the sources intersect with the different types, one might be better than the other. Also, are the different types really different, or is it more like this:

Soluble fibers
Insoluble fibers
- Fermentable fiber
  - Short-chain fatty acids

— Omegatron 15:03, 6 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Calories

"Methylcellulose ... is undigestible and doesn't have calories that humans can use." Is this true of other types of fiber? Boris B 11:39, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Commercial Research

Commercial or non-commercial sites ?

I am wanting to bring to the attention of Wikipedia, the problem with so called 'non-commercial' research, ie University Research.

It appears that Commercial organizations are 'buying' their way into research by 'donating' large sum of money into teaching/research hospitals, diverting the focus away from simple, non-patenable treatments.

There is a financial dis-incentive for many research faciliites to focus on non-patentable site.

Here in Thunder Bay with the building of a teaching research center, a major pharmaceutical donated a large sum of money. Why ?

A word of caution.

By the way, the reference to fiber in a 'commercial site' identifies 'fiber'...well fiber can be bought anywhere even in its natural form' Anti-biotics, cannot !

Caesar J.B. Squitti

--Son of Maryann Rosso and Arthur Natale Squitti 21:15, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Boom-boom?

"Additionally, soluble fiber undergoes active metabolic processing via fermentation, yielding end-products with broad, significant health effects." Is this a scientific way of saying poopy? what end product are we talking about? -Taco325i 00:33, 26 January 2007 (UTC)

Short-chain fatty acids are the important end-product -- see article. --Paul144 13:22, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Parisi refrence

The Vegtable Gum section had a refrence to a study by Parisi with a verification needed tag.

I added a refrence to the journal article in question. An abstract is here, and seems to verfiy the statement marked with that tag.

The abstract is here: [1]. I think the verification needed tag can be removed, but I'll leave it for now in case anyone disagrees. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 67.23.177.38 (talk) 01:13, 10 February 2007 (UTC).

[edit] Micronutrient Information Center has been mis-quoted on "the five most fiber-rich plant foods"

Information at the Micronutrient Information Center

( http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/fiber/ )

is not given as percentage,

each food is listed with its unit —

e.g. Nuts and Seeds – grammes per ounce

[edit] the true percentage dietary fiber (USDA National Nutrient Database)

( http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/cgi-bin/list_nut_edit.pl )

Almonds – 11.8
Asian Pear – 3.6

Haim Berman 12:28, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] what about chitosan???

what kind of fiber is that??? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.95.153.174 (talk) 20:51, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cancer and Fiber???

The fiber link to cancer is no longer a given. Several large studies failed to show any link between fiber and colon cancer. See http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fiber.html Anthon01 (talk) 05:36, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

Studies of a dietary agent(s) successfully intervening against a complex disease like colorectal cancer are notoriously difficult to construct, control, analyze and interpret due to innumerable factors affecting human eating behavior and bowel physiology. There are studies and experts still promoting the benefits of a fiber-rich diet, such as these[2][3][4], indicating to some (me, for one) that enough evidence -- and enough physiological justification -- exist to continue supporting the anti-cancer story of dietary fiber.

Even without the clinical trial evidence, one could ask: why wait for the long process of clinical studies to prove an anti-cancer effect? There are enough other benefits and plain physiological sense (as discussed in the article) to justify a high-fiber diet. --Paul144 (talk) 14:12, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Possible copyvio

A few quick copy and pastes of the text from this article into Google yields multiple results beyond Wikipedia. Many statements in this article can be found verbatim elsewhere on the Internet. One is clearly copying from the other, but I don't know which one. Someone more well-versed in the subject than I can make the appropriate determination. --Roehl Sybing (talk) 05:07, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Misconceptions

This section needs more rigorous phrasing. While the first sentence begins "Fiber does not bind to minerals and vitamins and therefore does not restrict their absorption" may be literally true for fiber as a whole, it contradicts the abstract of its own cite[5]. The citation states that insoluble dietary fiber does indeed bind to minerals and vitamins, but that the presence of soluble fiber creates a mechanism by which this effect is somewhat mitigated overall. Even though the article as a whole is discussing two different types of fiber, it should still not conflate them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hellsop (talk • contribs) 13:01, 18 April 2008 (UTC)