(Newswire.net — July 31, 2015) — Legumes like beans and sprouts are rich in viscous fiber and protein; other vegetables have less protein and yet still provide needed fibers.
Up to 95 percent of Americans don’t consume enough fiber, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture study published in 2005. The Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board recommends that adult men under fifty years old should have almost 40 grams of dietary fiber daily, while women of the under fifty require 25 grams per day for a healthy gastrointestinal tract that has been linked to less risk of cancer and diabetes in a number of studies.
The Kind of Fiber is Important: Soluble and Insoluble Fiber
Some fiber should be insoluble fiber and a lesser amount should be viscous fiber, or otherwise known as soluble fiber.
Consuming plenty of viscous fiber can help lower the risk of several serious medical problems like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
Sources of Viscous Fiber
Viscous, or soluble, fiber is made up of polysaccharide compounds found in the walls of plant cells. These compounds include beta-glucans, mucilage, pectins, gums and psyllium.
In the gastrointestinal tract these fibers absorb water and swell and decrease hunger and help provide a full feeling to help in a weight reduction program. According to the Cleveland Clinic, these fibers also slow the rate at which food is broken down and decrease the absorption of glucose and other nutrients.
A high intake of viscous fiber is linked to a decreased risk of high blood cholesterol and diabetes as well as associated with less risk of colon and other cancers.
Recommended Daily Allowance
The Food and Nutrition Board has not set a specific recommended daily allowance for viscous fiber, and nutrition labels on foods are required only to list total dietary fiber grams, not a breakdown of insoluble and viscous fiber grams.
25 % rule for Viscous Fiber
Nutritionists advise that around 25% of our daily dietary fiber should be viscous fiber. For a man, this is about 9.5 grams. For a woman, 6 grams is adequate. This based on total calories and activity.
Medical studies indicated that excellent sources of viscous fiber include asparagus, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, turnips, apricots, mangoes, oranges, legumes, beans, and oat bran.
Fiber is sometimes known to as Vitamin F because of its importance to health. Women’s fiber requirements are generally lower than men’s fiber requirements because women consume less calories.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you should consume about 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories that are ingested. Calorie needs are also calculated by your height, weight and amount of exercise and metabolic level, so they can vary widely for men and women.
Oatmeal is a great way to increase viscous fiber intake, oat bran and several types of beans contain more per serving.
A comparable serving of oatmeal has just 1.4 grams while black beans contain 2.4 grams in every cooked half-cup.
Get fiber and a healthier source of protein and minerals
I recommend a mix of beans for taste, texture, and variety. I often chop up a mix of organic vegetables and add a soup mix with 7 or more beans. I tend to have small servings several times during lunch and or dinner. This can assist with digestion and prevents me from snacking on foods that are not as healthy. If I can not eat until later in the evening, then a late afternoon soup can help. I use several slow-cookers: one in the office, one at the hospital, and one at home.
Making soup or vegetable meal can be really quick and easy. Sometimes I add some freshly cut veggies and mung beans to a hot soup just before eating so they are still raw, just warmed. A raw organic vegan diet is the best diet I can think of. Sometimes we add a little chicken or grass fed beef to these meals.
Drink at least six to eight glasses of water daily and exercise regularly, this can help with peristalsis or intestinal contractions to help bowel movements.
Some diet books use “bad” carbs to talk about foods with refined carbohydrates meaning they’re made from white flour and added sugars. Some examples include white bread, cakes, and cookies.
“Good” carbs is used to describe foods that have more fiber and complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are carbohydrates that take longer to break down into glucose; such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans.
These terms aren’t used in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010. Instead, the guidelines recommend choosing fiber-rich carbohydrate choices from the vegetable, fruit, and grain groups and avoid added sugars. It is also recommended that at least half of your daily grain choices are whole grains.
List of Soluble Fiber and Insoluble Fiber.
Soluble fiber is found in the following:
• Oatmeal
• Oat Bran
• Nuts and Seeds
• Most Fruits (e.g., strawberries, blueberries, pears, and apples)
• Dry Beans and Peas
Insoluble fiber found in the following:
• Whole Wheat Bread
• Barley
• Brown Rice
• Couscous
• Bulgur or Whole Grain Cereals
• Wheat Bran
• Seeds
• Most Vegetables
• Fruits