| Some health care experts believe that eating more than 35 grams of
fiber per day may adversely affect vitamin and mineral absorption. While
this is technically true, rarely does anyone eat near that amount of
fiber. Most of us dont eat even the small amount we need. While it is
true that some fibers may absorb calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium,
and while the presence of fiber in the intestines may inhibit the
absorption of certain nutrients, these effects are present only under
extreme conditions. In other words, dont let the fear of becoming
nutrient deficient stop you from boosting you fiber intake. This
particular phenomenon does not pose a significant threat. The
marvelous benefits of fiber far outweigh the remote possibility that you
will eat quantities large enough to pose any problem.
Remember to add fiber gradually, drink plenty of water and chew your
food thoroughly so that the necessary digestive enzymes will be
activated in the saliva. Some people believe that taking supplemental
digestive enzymes right before eating fiber can cut down on the
formation of gas. |
| Faulty Fiber Sources | Several misconceptions exist about certain foods that are thought to
be high in fiber. One of the most common is that if you eat a lot of
lettuce salads, youre getting plenty of fiber. Lettuce, tomatoes and
even celery are not good fiber sources. They are, in fact, much lower in
fiber than legumes and whole grains. So while these veggies provide
some fiber, by themselves they are an insufficient source.
Another misconception is that a food is high in fiber just because the
label says wheat, wheatberry, multigrain, natural, fortified, etc. None of
these terms means the whole grain has been used. In fact, many
products labeled with such terms are mostly comprised of white flour.
Even the term whole wheat doesnt necessarily mean that all of the
flour used has been milled from the whole grain. Caramel coloring is
frequently added to food products to make them appear more natural.
Watch out for high-fat baked goods that are disguised as fiber rich
foods. Oat-bran doughnuts, cookies or even tortilla chips are commonly
high in fat and sugar and notoriously low in oat bran. A New York Times
survey showed that some so-called oat bran muffins contain so little
oat bran they are virtually useless as a source of fiber. Also, a single
bran muffin can contain as much fat as three lunch-size bags of potato
chips. Just because it has bran in it doesnt necessarily make it good for
you. |
| Fiber Elimination and Disease | Weve already discussed the types of diseases which seem to
specifically target western cultures. High-fat, high-protein, low-fiber
diets exact a devastating toll on our health and will cause thousands of
premature deaths and an enormous amount of physical infirmity. Dr.
Arbuthnot Lane served as surgeon to the King of England in the early
1900s and spent several years specializing in bowel problems. He
noticed that after he removed diseased sections of the bowel, his
patients were remarkably and unexpectedly cured of completely
unrelated diseases such as arthritis and goiter. From such observations
he concluded that there is a causal relationship between a toxic colon
and other organs of the body. His advice was to care for the bowel
through good nutrition. Dr. Lanes work is receiving validation as
scientists today are beginning to understand and accept that the
condition of the colon is intrinsically related to all body systems and
can potentially affect numerous chronic diseases, including cancer.
Zolton P. Rona, M.D., MSc., has stated:
. . . many degenerative diseases are brought about by toxins generated
in the large bowel. Bacterial flora imbalance, putrefaction of undigested
foods, parasitic and yeast infections may be at the bottom of many
diseases. Burkitt and Trowell, two doctors famous for their work on the
health implications of fiber, express the simple importance of fiber in the
following hypothesis: A diet rich in foods which contain fiber or plant
cell walls (legumes, whole grains, fruits and vegetables) can protect
the human body against a wide variety of serious diseases which have
specifically attacked western cultures. A diet low in fiber or plant cell
walls can cause the incidence of these western diseases. |
