The Real Facts About High Fiber Foods

By: Brandon H. Masters

There are so many benefits of a high fiber diet that one wonders
why it took so long to realize it. It provides total body
support, from cleansing, detoxifying and decreasing the risk of
deadly diseases. As a matter of fact, a high fiber diet promotes
healthy cholesterol levels. When the wrong type of cholesterol
accumulates in your blood and arteries, it can block the flow of
blood to your heart and the result can be life-threatening.
However, the remedy is not to banish all cholesterol, but to
encourage the good cholesterol and limit the bad to maintain
good heart health.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance made predominantly by the liver.
It forms a part of every cell wall. That is why it is impossible
to live without it. Cholesterol also creates bile salts, as well
as sex and adrenal hormones. It helps the body to make vitamin
D, which helps the nervous system to perform its function. But,
when too much low-density lipoprotein or LDL (bad) cholesterol
enters the bloodstream, it is deposited on artery walls and
interferes with the blood flow. This leads to the oxidization of
the arterial plaques of LDL, which can rupture and set off a
clotting reaction that prevents the heart muscle from receiving
the nutrients it needs to survive. In contrast, high-density
lipoprotein or HDL (good) cholesterol helps keep arteries clear.
According to the National Institutes of Health, your LDL
cholesterol level should be below 130 mg/DL, and your HDL level
above 40 mg/DL.

This is where a high fiber diet can do magic. It helps to
maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Unicity International, a
global health and wellness company conducted a study and found
that supplements of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber boosted
HDL and lowered LDL. "The remarkable observation is that this
works on two sides," says Unicity Chief Science Officer Peter J.
Verdegem, PhD. "It decreased LDL and increased HDL by
significant amounts at 90 days. This approach is virtually free
of side effects. When it is in the intestines, fiber decreases
re-absorption of cholesterol from a meal."

Another study focusing on more than 150 Hispanic men and women
revealed that consuming soluble fiber resulted in a significant
decrease in LDL levels by speeding the elimination of waste from
the intestines. It also prevents bile from reentering the body.

How Much Fiber Do You Need

Most experts recommend 20 to 35 grams of fiber per day.
Unfortunately, majority of Americans take hardly 10 to 15 daily
grams. In some countries people take in 100 grams of fiber every
day; they have very low incidence of heart diseases.

Fiber is found in vegetarian foods. In contrast, meat and other
animal products are devoid of fiber. Refined foods like cakes
and cookies made from white flour have had their fiber removed.
Fiber is indigestible with no fattening calories. It was
considered of no consequence because it consists of
carbohydrates impervious to the digestive enzymes in the gut.
That explains why it was ignored for so long. However, now we
know that fiber nourishes the immune-boosting, friendly bacteria
that line the digestive tract.

Fiber is divided into two types: soluble and insoluble. Both of
them produce different health benefits. Soluble fiber exits the
stomach slowly, and takes the toxins with it through the
digestive tract. Insoluble fiber sweeps toxins off the walls of
the intestines. You need to consume a balance of soluble and
insoluble

About the author:
Brandon H. Masters is a Health Enthusiast, Researcher and
Veteran of the Natural Products Industry. He is passionate about
educating others on the benefits of wellness solutions through
better nutrition and detoxification. Fast Weight Loss