Tag Archive for: inulin

Fiber: Food or Supplements?

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We don’t seem to eat enough whole or minimally processed plant foods, so the researchers were trying to discover whether getting fiber, especially insoluble fiber, was better from plant material or whether taking fiber in supplement form would suffice.

Researchers approached the question from the perspective of other beneficial nutrients that might be found in plants that might be processed out of fiber supplements. They conducted a literature search and found that just 44 studies that examined the phytonutrient content of many plant foods and met their criteria. They focused on insoluble fiber which would be found in the skin of apples and beans, seeds and nuts, and many other components of raw foods that are discarded in processing.

Bioactive Nutrients are Present

While the techniques are complicated and resulted in very long lists of various phytonutrients, insoluble fiber contains many of them. Part of the issue is that there are components we would never eat such as corn cobs or the peels of oranges. Fortunately, there are enough plants that we ordinarily eat that contain insoluble fiber.

That doesn’t mean that soluble fiber such as inulin and psyllium are not beneficial; they add bulk to the stool and help the digestive system in general. It also doesn’t mean that every source of insoluble fiber is beneficial; phytic acid found in the shells of beans can prevent minerals from being chelated and thus absorbed, but cooking the beans breaks down phytic acid without destroying the insoluble fiber. The good news is that the phytonutrients are there as we eat the foods.

Food or Supplements?

The study didn’t completely answer the question, mostly because of the paucity of research on insoluble fiber (or any type of fiber) and the beneficial nutrients it contains. They suggested that the challenges presented to the taste and textures of adding insoluble fiber to foods might be too challenging to be accepted by the public. While it’s easy to say “eat more plant-based foods,” getting people to do it is really difficult.

So if “Food or supplements?” is the question, my answer would be “Yes!” I think the convenience of having psyllium and inulin in powders is great because they mix well with water and can be put into drinks as long as they are consumed quickly. Adding a squeeze of lemon or a no-calorie flavor packet can make the drink more palatable.

For insoluble fiber, I think food is the way to go. Apples and pears with their peels, cooked red, black, chickpea, great northern, and other beans, root vegetables such as sweet potatoes and yams, carrots, oatmeal, flax seed, and bran as in bran flakes are excellent choices. They can be used in cooking, so be creative. Black bean salad, hummus, chili with beans, and many more sources can be eaten on a regular basis. We just have to seek them out.

The Bottom Line

The big benefit of insoluble fiber from foods is all the other phytonutrients you’ll also be getting. Just make sure you use spices to make them more palatable, including a little sugar if necessary. With Thanksgiving less than a week away, think of the sides you can create that could include root vegetables, beans, and other foods high in insoluble fiber. The old saying about an apple a day was more correct than we knew.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, Paula, Riley, Jamie, and I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you get to spend it with family and friends. The Memo will resume the following week. Be well and travel safely.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Nutrients 2023, 15, 4138. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu151941382.

Yes, Fiber Is Healthy

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Almost all Americans need to increase their fiber intake by eating foods containing fiber as well as using supplemental fiber if needed. I do and will continue to do so with one caveat, which I’ll talk about later. Let’s get into the research that caused the headline about fiber and cancer.

Genetic Defects Were the Underlying Problem

Based on observational studies, researchers examined the role of soluble fiber on metabolic syndrome (MetS) in mice—not just any mice but mice that had a specific defective gene called Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5). These mice develop MetS when fed a modern diet. Researchers used several types of soluble fiber, including inulin and pectin. While the symptoms associated with MetS were decreased, they discovered that close to half the TLR5 mice developed liver cancer while the normal controls did not. Why? One thing they noted was that the TLR5 mice became jaundiced due to bile acids in their blood.

Based on prior research, researchers suspected that something was causing bile acids to enter the blood stream. There’s a strain of mice, C57BL/6 mice, that has a defect which causes portosystemic shunt (an abnormal vein connecting the blood supply returning from the intestines to the vein returning blood to the heart, bypassing the liver). That allows bile acids to build up in the blood stream, damaging the liver, and causing liver cancer. The use of high soluble-fiber diets speeds up that process because of the fermentation of the fiber by probiotics. Hence that’s why the results associated fiber with cancer. But is it an issue in humans?

Soluble Fiber and Liver Cancer in Humans

I think the risk to humans is negligible for two reasons. Based on the latest data, the risk for portosystemic shunt in humans is about one in 30,000. The researchers suggest it may be higher, but we don’t test for it. The caveat I mentioned? Bile acids can be detected by a simple blood test; if you want to be sure you don’t have an issue, just request that test to eliminate the shunt or any other cause of bile acids in your blood.

The second reason is that the researchers fed the mice 10% of their diet as fiber. In one trial the inulin content was 2.5% while in another it was 7.5% of the mice’s dietary intake. The Daily Value for humans eating 2,000 calories per day is 1.4% or 28 grams, and that’s mixed fibers. We currently average 0.7%. It doesn’t seem likely that even people who supplement their food with fiber supplements will reach a comparably high level of intake.

The Bottom Line

Don’t for a minute think that this research isn’t important because it is. We live in a society that believes if some is good, more must be better. What they’ve shown is that some soluble fiber is good for weight loss and the symptoms of MetS, as well as keeping your bowels moving smoothly. We don’t need to overdo anything; we just need to do the average. Try to get about 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily from foods and supplements, get the blood bile test to be extra cautious, and you’ll be fine.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References:
1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2018.09.004
2. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2022.08.033

Does Fiber Cause Liver Cancer?

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What? Okay, that isn’t exactly what the health headline said. An article published in SciTechDaily last week said Diets High in Processed Fiber May Increase Cancer Risk. It appears they published the press release about a study from the University of Toledo. What piqued my interest was that it focused on my favorite fiber, inulin. That’s one of the soluble fibers I use together with psyllium husks every day.

What made this particularly disturbing was that the processed fiber appeared to contribute to a particularly nasty type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma. As you know, headlines are meant to grab your attention, but everything isn’t always as portrayed.

Let’s begin with some facts. In the U.S., 28,600 men and 12,660 women will be diagnosed with all forms of liver cancer in 2022. While it’s in the top 10 types of cancer, the U.S. has a population of 330 million, so that’s still not a huge number; rates are higher in less developed countries.

Typical intake of all types of fiber is about 14 grams on average, less than half of what the fiber intake should be. Depending on diet, fiber intake should be about 1.4% of the dietary intake by volume.

On Saturday, I’ll talk about the studies and put things in perspective. I’ll also be taking my fiber every day as well.

Tomorrow night is the monthly Insider Conference Call. I’ll be covering several health topics in the news as well as the 3/7 weight training program. Become and Insider before 8 p.m. Wednesday and you can join the call at 9 p.m.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: SciTechDaily. 10/10/2022. Diets High in Processed Fiber May Increase Cancer Risk

The Magic of Chicory

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Because this is my birthday week, I thought I would indulge myself and talk about some personal research I recently did. Today it’s all about chicory—it’s everywhere. The little purple flowers can be found alongside just about every road in Michigan. I’m pretty sure it’s probably that way across the U.S. where the climate is similar at this latitude. Those little lavender-purple flowers are chicory, officially known as Cichorium intybus, a member of the Aster family. This absolutely phenomenal lavender-flowered plant is one of those plants that are classified as weeds in some areas, but in others are cultivated for their nutritious parts.

Chicory as a Fiber Source

I first became aware of chicory when I found out the root is the source of one of my favorite types of fiber called inulin. The reason that I like that particular type of fiber so much is that it can act as a prebiotic and feed many of the bacteria of the microbiome. But first, it acts like any other type of soluble fiber: it absorbs fluid to help food move through the small intestine. Then when it gets to the large intestine, it can supply the thousands of microbes with food.

Chicory is not the only source of inulin, but it’s the greatest source. Here are some of the other major sources of inulin if you wanted to get it by eating plants; all of these amounts are per 100 grams of a serving; that works out to about 3.3 ounces:

  • Chicory root contains about 40 grams
  • Jerusalem artichoke has 16–20 grams
  • Garlic has 9–16 grams
  • Raw asparagus has 2–3 grams

It might be relatively easy to eat 3.3 ounces of artichokes or asparagus. But I’m not sure many people are going to want to be around you if you eat 3.3 ounces of raw garlic every day, although it could be a big assist in social distancing. Just a thought.

Chicory as Food

I was surprised to find out that almost the entire chicory plant can be eaten; it has been cultivated as food in Europe since the 1600s. Depending on the age of the plant, as well as the time within the growing season, the leaves of the plant can be considered a salad delicacy. I don’t usually stop and eat or even nibble when I’m out for a walk/run, but chicory is in the endive family and the flavor is supposed to be somewhat bitter and crunchy like endive. That’s if eaten raw. When cooked, the flavor mellows out quite a bit, as it does for dandelion greens, another relative. When used in foods, it appears that chicory is often eaten like celery. The leaves, the roots, and the leaf buds are boiled and added to foods. Chicory seems to get more intriguing as a potential food all the time.

Chicory has also been used as an additive to or a substitute for coffee. Evidently when dried and roasted it has a very distinctive flavor that enhances coffee. In fact, after World War II, England and Germany roasted chicory root as a substitute for coffee beans. While I’ve never tasted it, I know that there are several brands of American coffee that contain roasted chicory root. What I don’t know is how that might impact the ability to act as a fiber and prebiotic. Because you’re trying to extract flavor from the root plus roasting the root, there may not be any of the desired digestive qualities available.

Chicory as a Nutrient

Because it’s a plant, you know that it must have phytonutrients. I’ve talked about the benefits as it relates to the microbiome, but there may be other benefits from consuming the plant or extracts from the plant. For example, in some of my background research on this, it seems that some people apply a paste of chicory leaves on the skin for swelling and inflammation. In another trial on rodents, chicory was used in combination with a variety of other herbs to see if it would lower blood pressure. It did, but it’s still a long way from a very small study on rats to developing natural ways of dealing with blood pressure.

One thing is for sure: using the parts of the plant that we know are the most effective for the digestive system is probably a good idea. We know that adults should be getting 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day, but most people seem to be able to hit only between 12 and 13 grams. So if taking this type of fiber known as inulin sourced from chicory root or eating more artichokes and asparagus is possible, you’ll get a lot of benefit from this plant. Maybe this will inspire you to taste the leaves of the plant with the little purple flowers on the side of the road in your next salad.

That’s exactly what I did on a trip to the store before writing this Memo. I noticed some chicory growing on the side of the road in an area that had a little bit of parking. So I stopped my car, got out, picked several different sized leaves, and then ate them. The plant had blossoms so that may have made a difference in the flavor. It was extraordinarily bitter but left no aftertaste. It would be interesting to be able to get some chicory that was specifically designed to be used in salads to see if it would taste similar. I would say this: if you can drink an IPA, I think you could eat salad with chicory in it. That’s my experience with eating chicory leaves to date. I’ll stick with inulin from the root for now.

New Info and Some Time Off

There’s a new Basic Health Info posted on the Health Info page at drchet.com about the myths and facts of face masks as described in actual scientific research. If you’re tired of people throwing fantastic tales of masks’ effects at you, here’s where you can go to get the facts: Cloth Masks: What the Research Says

We’re taking next week off to catch up on some big chores around the house, maybe even relax an hour or two, so expect to hear from me again on August 4.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017 (3) 7;17(1):142.

Why You Need Prebiotics

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As kids go back to school, let’s start the week after Labor Day by answering some questions. You know about probiotics, the beneficial microbes that live in and on our bodies and compose our microbiome, but one question that seems to be on a lot of people’s minds is prebiotics: why do you need them?

Prebiotics are substances, typically found in plant-based foods, that can be used as food for probiotics. Two well-known types of prebiotics are plant fibers such as inulin and fructooligosaccharides, or FOS for short. There are undoubtedly many more types, but research in this area is really just getting started.

No matter. If you want to make sure you’re feeding your microbiome, eat your vegetables, fruits, and beans on a regular basis. You don’t have to worry about what the prebiotics are called; they’re in there. Still working on your diet? Take a probiotic with FOS. To back up the fruit sugars, take some soluble fiber such as inulin as well. That’s the way to keep your microbiome healthier and doing its job for your health.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet
Reference: Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2016 Feb; 37: 1–7. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2015.09.001.

 

Getting Rid of Constipation

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Adults, children, even infants get constipated, and no one likes it. Over time, I developed a combination of nutrients that seems to work for many people—not every person but most. Is it based on absolute science? I would be hard-pressed to say that the research on occasional constipation is definitive. There are over 22,000 citations in PubMed for every type of cause and medication for many types of constipation, but there’s no solid research on occasional constipation. I developed this combination based on the physiology and biochemistry involved, combined with years of experience.

The solution I . . .

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The Types of Fiber

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There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Let me break each down for you.

Soluble fiber is indigestible carbohydrates from plants; as the name suggests, they dissolve in water. They can actually form a gel-like substance in a glass, if you don’t consume it after mixing with water, or in the small intestine. Examples of foods that contain soluble fiber: psyllium, fruit, oats, barley, and legumes.

Insoluble fiber comes from plant cell walls. It does not dissolve in water but it can add bulk to the stool; that allows it to pass easier. Foods that contain . . .

We're sorry, but this content is available to Members and Insiders only.

If you're already a DrChet.com Member or Insider, click on the Membership Login link on the top menu. Members may upgrade to Insider by going to the Store and clicking Membership; your membership fee will be prorated automatically.