Most health experts believe we should be getting 25-35 grams of fiber every day.  As Americans, we consume on average 10-15 grams of fiber a day.  This is a problem.

The consumption of fiber in the human population has continued to decrease over the course of human history.  In the last couple centuries it has taken a dive.  This most recent drop seems to have started with the genesis of food processing.  All that processing removes valuable fiber, as well as other nutrients.  Add that loss of fiber to America’s preference for poor food choices, and it’s easy to see how our fiber intake is decreased.

A Hole in Our Diets

Progressively, we have been exchanging high fiber, whole food products such as whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables for processed grains, potatoes with no skins, sugar, and processed oils.  This has left a huge hole in our diets, especially considering the health benefits of fiber. 

Beyond the Basics

Most people are familiar with using fiber for constipation, but research in the last century has shown fiber to be benenficial for much more.  Fiber is broken down by good bacteria in our intestines.  It is a source of food for them, but when they have digested the fiber it serves as fuel for our intestinal cells.  Fiber is also beneficial for removing toxins from the body.  It has been shown in studies to help with maintainence of healthy weight and weight loss.

Fiber Helps More Than Just Digestion

Soluble fiber, such as those found in oats and beans, help lower cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.   Beta glucans, the soluble fiber from oats, have been allowed to carry a heart health claim by the FDA.  Soluble fiber is also beneficial for promoting maintenance of healthy blood sugar levels, which makes it especially important for diabetics.  Heart disease and diabetes are two of the most critical issues facing Americans today.  Finding one natural substance that helps fight both conditions is good news for the health world.

Time for Change

In an era of elimination issues, cardiovascular disease, and sugar imbalance, fiber is an important element to to return to our diets.   Since it is abundant in many whole vegetable-based foods, it is not difficult to add back into the diet.  It just takes a little conscious effort, and maybe a slightly longer preparation time for dinner.

The soluble fiber from oats, which is mostly oat beta glucan, can be beneficial for someone looking to achieve healthy weight.  It has many properties that contribute to maintaining and achieving healthy weight loss goals.

The Benefits are Numerous

Because it’s a fiber, it can increase the feeling of fullness when taken with a meal.  Fiber is the last nutrient to breakdown in the digetstive tract, which can extend the feeling of satiety.  Fiber has also been shown in studies to increase a hormone that makes us feel full called CCK (cholecystokinin).  This pretty much translates into:  fiber makes you eat less.

Keeping an Internal Balance

Because it is viscous it can slow the emptying of food from the stomach.  This slow down decreases the rate at which sugar is absorbed, thereby having a positive effect on blood sugar levels.  When sugar levels are high in the blood stream insulin is released.  Insulin causes the sugar in the blood to push into the cells.  Fats also get pushed into the cells, which increases chances of weight-gain.  When there is a large release of insulin we also can have a fast dip in blood sugar, which can cause fatigue and hunger.  A good example of this cause-and-effect is eating a candy bar.  You eat that snack and your blood sugar rises very high.  To counteract it, insulin is released.  The insulin causes the sugars and fats to stay in your body, and your blood sugar to crash.  It is also believed that slowing down the absorption of sugars can affect how much is eaten at the following meal.

The Wonder of Fiber

One of the ways oat beta glucan is able to lower cholesterol is by binding to fat in the digestive tract and carrying it out of the body.  It also carries other calories out of the body as well.   In her Fiber35 Diet Brenda Watson calls this effect of the “fiber flush effect”.  The USDA and others have confirmed this effect.

Obviously, fiber is a good thing.  Everyone should eat a little more fiber.  Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that America is going to change its eating habits as a whole.  Every person who takes up healthy eating practices, including an increase in fiber, is a success story.

Is it possible to lower cholesterol?  A research study printed in the American Journal of Clinical Nutritions says a emphatic “YES”.  A low saturated fat diet was combined with either a statin medication or a specialized diet.  The result of cholesterol drop for the specialized diet (29.6%) was comparable to the drop using the statin drug (33.3%).  This can give a lot of people hope.

The Main Idea

This diet is called the Portfolio Diet.  It’s made up of cholesterol-lowering foods such as soluble fiber (like beta glucan found in oats), plant sterols, soy foods, almonds, okra, and eggplant.  The diet was considered to be highly successful at lowering cholesterol which gives everyone hope for lowering their cholesterol through diet.

Have a “Stick To It” Attitude

One criticism of the diet is that some doctors say it’s difficult to follow the diet.  Since the diet was only followed for a month I think it is well within reach.  The main point I took away from the study was that it seems to be very possible to get significant drops in cholesterol through diet change alone.  One just has to stick with it.

If you know someone who has suffered a heart attack or stroke, then the words “You have high LDL cholesterol” from your doctor may have some meaning to you. For the rest of us, the words “high cholesterol” may not conjure up many thoughts or images. Even if you know what cholesterol does in the body, it may not be self evident why high LDL cholesterol should be concerning. While having high cholesterol may not be a death sentence or a guarantee that we will be on medications for the rest of our lives, it does merit concern.

High cholesterol levels can lead to atherosclerosis, which in turn can lead to heart attack and stroke. Heart disease and stroke are the number 1 and number 3 causes of death in America. Heart attacks and stroke can cause some major problems to survivors, as well.  The aftermath can range from small debilitation, to major impairment, to death.

The Positive Power of Oats

All that being said, it is important to remember that atherosclerosis is a progressive state and needs to be addressed by consistent long term changes. There are many lifestyle and diet changes that are recommended to help stop your cholesterol from continuing to rise.  There are also a number of options that can be beneficial for lowering cholesterol. One of the main dietary changes being proclaimed today is the incorporation of soluble fiber from oats to the diet.

In clinical studies soluble fiber from whole oat products has been shown to lower cholesterol. The National Cholesterol Education Program wrote an authoritative document on cholesterol (ATP III).  It recommends dietary changes such as incorporating soluble fiber from oats, lower saturated fat intake and lower cholesterol intake.  It also covers weight management, medication, and other approaches to lowering cholesterol. This document covers a number of other dietary and lifestyle changes that are important to the high cholesterol issue.

Know the Facts

 Becoming informed should be your first step in addressing high LDL cholesterol. Ask your doctor for all the information they have available to them.  Also ask about how you can influence your cholesterol through diet and lifestyle choices. Become familiar with organizations like the American Heart Association and the National Cholesterol Education Program. We will also be diligent researchers and provide you with information that is both practical and accurate to help you on your journey to lower LDL cholesterol levels.  It’s our promise to do our best to keep you informed and to help you continue to live a full life, even after cholesterol test results.

Because of the complex nature of food sometimes we have to use technical names to talk about its contents.  ”Beta glucan” is just a term that describes a type of fiber that is found in oats and other sources such as mushrooms, nutritional yeast, fruits, and other whole grains.  Beta glucans are soluble, which means they can mix with water.  So, in other words, beta glucans are a soluble fiber present in foods.   Oat beta glucan is a unique form of soluble fiber which has special properties that are beneficial for helping lower cholesterol levels.

How do Beta Glucans Affect Cholesterol Levels?

There are three main properties of oat beta glucan that are thought give it the ability to lower cholersterol: its viscosity, ability to bind to bile, and ability to be fermented by good bacteria in the gut.

    Viscosity is a property of beta glucans that causes food in the digestive tract to bind to fat and cholesterol and keep some of it from being absorbed.  When less fat is absorbed less cholesterol is made.  Not only is this good for your heart, but your waistline, too!
    Bile is the main way for the body to get rid of excess cholsterol.   Beta glucan binds to bile and carries it out of the body.  If bile is not carried out of the body it is reabsorbed.  This means that instead of being removed, it’s redeposited.  By removing bile, beta glucan removes cholesterol that’s already in the body.
    Another possible mechanism for beta glucans cholesterol lowering ability is that beta glucan feeds helpful bacteria in the body.  There are many types of bacteria that are supposed to be in the body.  These bacteria are very important to your health.  When these helpful bacteria digest the beta glucan, they release natural chemicals.  Some of these chemicals block the body’s ability to make cholesterol.

Beta-Glucans Have Health Benefits Today and Tomorrow

Besides its benefits for lowering cholesterol, beta glucans have other beneficial properties.  They have been shown in studies to increase immune function.  Beta glucans can also slow the absorption of food and thereby decrease the amount of insulin needed to deal with each meal.  This can have benefits for blood sugar balance and weight loss.  Some of the chemicals created by the beneficial bacteria that eat beta glucan are food for the cells of the intestines.  Because beta glucan is a viscous fiber it can also help regulate bowel movement.  If these are the side effects we can get from a natural product like Nutrim, then I’ll take it!