Posted on 02/05/2023 3:55:41 PM PST by ConservativeMind
Fiber-rich food is important for gastrointestinal health, but most Americans don't get enough in their typical diet.
Two new papers from the make it easier for food manufacturers to amplify fiber in foods and beverages for health benefit without digestive discomfort.
The first paper focuses on tolerance and side effects of non-digestible carbohydrates (NDC), an umbrella term for food components the body can't break down.
"The FDA determines if NDCs qualify as dietary fibers. To be a fiber, they must provide a health benefit. These benefits include things like helping with regularity and aiding in the absorption of calcium," explains Annemarie Mysonhimer.
The recommended amount of dietary fiber is 14 grams per 1,000 kilocalories, or 28 grams for a typical 2,000 kilocalorie daily diet. But only about 10% of adult women and 3% of men in the U.S. meet that daily recommendation.
Mysonhimer and co-author Hannah Holscher reviewed findings from more than 100 clinical trials that evaluated dietary fiber intake and included reports of side effects such as gas and bloating, as well as effects on regularity. These trials tested a wide range of intakes, many of which were quite high, to determine how much of a certain fiber would be well tolerated. Few foods or diets currently contain these levels, the researchers note.
Overall, the authors conclude that daily tolerance levels differ widely depending on the type of fiber and how it is consumed. Tolerance can be as low as 4 grams for alginate (derived from brown algae) to 25 grams for soy fiber. Mysonhimer explains there are also individual differences depending on the gut microbiota (the microbes within our intestinal tract), so each person needs to find their own comfort level.
While mild side effects may be acceptable, more severe abdominal discomfort can interfere with daily life.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
- Alginate = 3.75
- Guar gum = 11.4
- Psyllium = 15
- Inulin = 5
- FOS & OF = 7.8
- Polydextrose = 12
- OF = 20
- Soy Fiber = 25
- Resistant Starch = 12
“NDC tolerable intakes. Dose recommendations for tolerable intakes of NDCs grouped by category. FOS, fructooligosaccharides; GOS, galactooligosaccharides; NDC, nondigestible carbohydrate; OF, oligofructose.”
Note that a prior study I posted showed other problems with inulin in excess of 20 grams a day, so stay under that.
That is where most people go wrong. You body needs time to adjust to any change in diet.
You can’t have gas! You must go electric!
YMMV, of course.
And I recommend the fiber found in ultra high-fiber bran cereals instead of vegetables. You just can't eat enough veggies to get the right amount of fiber.
What is wrong with whole grains such as bulgur, barley, millet, quinoa and others? The problem is the American diet is terrible, devolving and largely dependent on processed and fast foods. We have lost our ability to cook for lack of time and interest.
Bump
Wow. Just wow. /s
I suppose in >50 years they might actually glean something intelligent from studying people's guts.
(I wonder if any - ahem - of those 100 clinical trials even made mention of 'dysbiosis')
Major grain of salt here, folks (the 'two studies', that is).
Since when is gas a problem?
GERBS Lightly Sea Salted Roasted Whole Pumpkin Seed (Pepitas) In Shell 4 lbs
Consider the Indian diet; it is full of legumes and their national dish is "dal," lentils cooked in innumerable ways, all great and all with flavor and fiber.
That’s what I keep asking my wife, but she insists it can be.
LOL
There’s always our old friend Metamucil. There are several imitation brands, but for some reason they think it necessary to quadruple the amount of sugar per tablespoon. Some of it can be rendered undrinkable due to the sugar weight.
Pitted prunes. Three in the morning does the trick…
Does not matter really how you switch it up, going from vegetarian to carnivore will result in intestinal distress. Just going from a store bought diet to one that is partly foraged will give some trouble.
So just switch a bit at a time. In about a month you should be fully acclimated to your new way of eating.
For some of us any Inulin can be deadly. It’s often in foods, but listed as other things such as chicory root extract.
Americans are diet wimps...............
Having your guts in revolt is no fun.
I generally try to not have any dish that has large amounts of unconventional ingredients in it when we have dinner guests.
The kids find explosive flatulence funny but I am suppose to be an adult.
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