Relevant answers to your frequent questions...

Dietary Fiber: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Viscofiber® a dietary fiber?

Yes. Viscofiber® is a highly concentrated soluble dietary fiber derived from oats through a gentle, unique and patented fractionation process. Viscofiber® oat contains up to 50% soluble fiber. The remainder consists of insoluble fiber, starch and protein.

What is soluble dietary fiber?

Soluble dietary fiber dissolves in water and forms a soft gel in the stomach and intestinal tract. Like insoluble fiber, it cannot be broken down or absorbed by the body. Unlike insoluble fiber which passes through the intestinal tract as bulk, soluble fiber interacts with other body processes to produce a variety of health benefits. Most sources of dietary fiber contain both soluble and insoluble fiber .

What is dietary fiber?

Dietary fiber is the part of a plant that cannot be digested by humans. There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble.Your digestive system needs both types to function optimally.
Dietary fiber is an undigestible complex carbohydrate found in plants. Because it is not digested and absorbed into the bloodstream like other carbohydrates, fiber does not raise blood sugar levels or produce calories. In fact, a healthy portion of fiber in your diet can help to lower blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels as well as prevent constipation. Dietary fiber falls into one of two categories: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.
Dietary fiber is made up of complex carbohydrates that humans lack the enzymes to digest.

Why are the bars low in dietary fiber?

Fiber is a bulky ingredient that does not serve a purpose for the intentions of the Balance bar. A bar with significant fiber may also cause gastro-intestinal disturbance with athletes who use it during training or competition. Fiber is an important part of one’s overall diet. We recommended that you consume 25 to 30 grams of dietary fiber from meals containing portions of low-glycemic fruits, vegetables and legumes.

Is Soluble Fiber considered Dietary Fiber?

Yes . If you look at the food nutrition label, you'll see that indented underneath the Dietary Fiber is the Soluble Fiber entry. If a product says it has 5g of Dietary Fiber and 2g Soluble

What are the best sources of dietary fiber?

The best food sources are fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, and limited amounts of whole grains or their brans (see below). Most members of the plant kingdom provide us with at least a small amount of fiber, while animals, provide us with none. (Don't let the use of the word "fiber" with respect to animals fool you -- it does not mean dietary fiber. ) Since lowcarb dieters cannot eat enough of many of the best sources of fiber to get even the minimum recommended amount, we have a special FAQ on fiber for lowcarbers.

What is the importance of dietary fiber?

Fiber has also been shown to help promote healthy digestive function. Also, meals that include soluble fiber tend to slow down digestion, thereby delaying the absorption of glucose, a blood sugar. This can be helpful in normalizing blood sugar levels. Soluble fibers can also help to promote a feeling of "fullness", resulting in reduced calorie intake - a big plus if you're trying to lose weight. In addition, the presence of fiber in the diet may help promote healthy cholesterol levels. What is an omega-3? ...

Is Flax a Source of Dietary Fiber?

Yes. Dietary fiber consists of non-digestible plant carbohydrates that are not digested or absorbed by the human small intestine and therefore pass relatively intact into the large intestine. F or example, Natunola ® Omega-3 Flax Fiber contains approximately 38.3 g/100 g of total dietary fiber (batch analysis only).

What is "dietary fiber", and what does it do in the body?

Dietary fiber is found in various foods and is something you ingest (eat) that you cannot digest. The fiber passes through the stomach, then through the small intestine, and then into the colon. In the colon, fiber absorbs liquid and water, and this helps the colon function properly. Because the fiber absorbs liquid and water in the colon, a high fiber diet can help relieve symptoms of diarrhea by absorbing the excess water and slowing the colon stool passage. ...

Why is dietary fiber important in cancer prevention?

Dietary fiber is the indigestible part of foods of plant origin. Fiber provides bulk to our diet and helps to maintain a healthy colon. It does this in several ways; first, it stimulates muscle contractions and hence reduces colon transit time (minimizes constipation). Secondly, it dilutes any potentially hazardous or carcinogenic substances and also reduces the amount of time these substances would be in contact with the colon wall. ...

Why is the dietary fiber in flax so good for my health?

Flax contains both insoluble and soluble fiber. Insoluble fiber lessens the incidence of colon cancer and rectal cancer by binding bile acids as well as by increasing stool bulk and speeding transit time. Soluble fiber lowers serum cholesterol levels, nourishes favorable bacteria, slows the rate of sugar entering the circulatory system, and binds heavy metals. ENRECO™ ground, stabilized flax seed has a high mucilage (soluble fiber) content. Mucilage is a gum-like substance located beneath the seed's outer coating. ...

Can dietary fiber prevent cancer or improve cancer survival?

Dietary fiber includes a wide array of plant carbohydrates that are not digested by humans. Fibers are either "soluble" (like oat bran) or "insoluble" (like wheat bran and cellulose). Soluble fiber helps lower the risk of heart disease by reducing blood cholesterol levels. Fiber is also linked with improved bowel function. Good sources of fiber are beans, vegetables, whole grains, and fruits. ...

How can I check the dietary fiber content in my foods?

To check the dietary fiber content in your foods, go to Diet > Nutritional info, and select your desired food. The nutritional label for that food contains information including the dietary fiber content.

Do I need to increase my dietary fiber?

Typical Americans consume only 10-15 grams of fiber per day. The National Cancer Institute recommends eating 25-35 grams of fiber daily. Though there is no standard on recommended daily amounts, these numbers demonstrate that most people would benefit from increased fiber intake. You can add up your daily fiber grams to see how you measure up. Use this Fiber Worksheet.

What are some dietary sources of fiber?

Good dietary sources of fiber are fresh fruit, leafy vegetables, whole-grains breads and cereals.

Why does amapur contain the dietary fiber guar gum?

An important ingredient in all amapur products is ť Guar Gum : It is the 100% natural, soluble fiber, which performs essential bodily functions in weight loss management. Guar gum slows the absorption of glucose (sugar) from the stomach into your blood, which is thought to avoid the large swings of blood sugar that we all, especially diabetics and hypoglycemics, should avoid. It also has the added advantage of keeping the intestinal tract healthy and well maintained, as well as positively affecting cholesterol values. ...

Should lowcarbers deduct dietary fiber from the carb count?

Unless the plan you are on says otherwise, yes. Even Dr. Atkins eventually agreed with this concept (his original diet was developed long before our current definition of dietary fiber and for many years he was skeptical). However, since plans may account for the fiber in their carb limits, it's best to follow their rules until you are certain.

How can dietary fiber protect us from the harmful effects of fats?

As the fiber passes through the intestinal tract, it “sweeps” it clean. Fiber also encourages to the formation and growth of friendly intestinal bacteria, it removes cholesterol, and used bile and other used materials from the body. Fibers may also create a feeling of fullness in stomach so hunger is satisfied.

What does the latest research say about the benefits of dietary fiber?

In April 2000, as reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, two studies suggested that fiber may not protect against colon cancer. However, there are still many reasons for eating a high-fiber diet, including: decreased cholesterol, decreased blood pressure, and decreased risk of acquiring Type II diabetes. Fruits and vegetables should continue to be a primary part of any healthy diet. (Registered participants can refer to Lesson N5: Understanding Carbohydrates and Fiber)

Does Atkins Induction Phase meal plan provide enough dietary fiber?

Atkins Induction Phase meal plan does not provide for sufficient dietary fiber as it limits consumption of total carbohydrate to 20 grams daily. Fiber requirements will be meet on latter phases of atkins once more vegetables, berries, nuts and seeds are added back into the diet.

Why did the Metamucil label change to include both laxative and dietary fiber supplement information?

The product itself has not changed. The label has changed. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a health claim for foods and dietary supplements that recognizes that diets containing soluble fiber from psyllium husk, as in Metamucil, may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol when included as part of a low-fat diet. The label now provides this information on how Metamucil can be used as a dietary fiber supplement and as a fiber laxative for regularity. Back to top

Why doesn't the sum of the sugars, dietary fiber and starch equal the value for total carbohydrate in NDS-R?

The values for the three components of the carbohydrate are often taken from a variety of sources, mainly food analyses appearing in the scientific literature. Generally, for a single food entry, the fiber value is from one data source, the sugar values from another, and the starch value from a third. The total carbohydrate value is usually from the USDA database. ...

Typical dietary fiber content vs actual manufacturing certificates of analysis (COA’s)?

The dietary fiber content of Fibersol-2 is guaranteed to be 90+% minimum dry weight basis. Actual COA’s typically report 94-96% dietary fiber using a modified AOAC 2001.03 method for QA purposes.

What’s the difference between soluble and insoluble dietary fiber? Can they be labeled differently?

Soluble and insoluble dietary fiber differ in terms of solubility in water. For ingredient labeling, the common and usual name of the specific ingredient must be used. For nutrition labeling, voluntary differentiation between soluble and insoluble dietary fiber is allowed.

In what sense, scientific, technical and regulatory basis, is FS2 truly “dietary fiber” for nutrition labeling purposes?

For years, scientific and technical definitions for “dietary fiber” have been proposed. There is currently several groups continuing this effort to harmonize definitions so to be scientifically correct and meaningful from a regulatory perspective. In the U.S, “dietary fiber” for nutrition labeling purposes is defined by analytical methods used to measure it. ...
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