Higher dietary fiber intake is linked to reduced body weight
At a Glance
Studies show that in addition to its established role in supporting overall health, higher dietary fiber consumption may play a significant role in weight loss and obesity.
Read more about this research below.
Dietary fiber plays many important roles in the body, and intake has been linked to cardiovascular health and a lower risk of certain cancers. Additionally, evidence from observational studies has linked fiber intake to body weight, showing that obese men and women are likely to consume significantly less dietary fiber than lean individuals.
One particular cohort study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, included 89,432 European participants, aged 20–78 years, who were initially free of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Participants were followed for an average of 6.5 years. Results indicated that total dietary fiber intake was inversely associated with weight and change in waist circumference during the study period. At 10 grams/day higher total fiber intake, there was an estimated 39 grams/year weight loss and waist circumference decreased by 0.08 cm/year. A 10 grams/day fiber intake from cereals alone results in 77 grams/year weight reduction and 0.10 cm/year reduction in waist circumference. Fruit and vegetable fiber was not associated with weight change but had an effect similar to total and cereal fiber intake on reduced waist circumference.
In another study, a review article published in the journal Nutrition suggests that dietary fiber helps prevent obesity in several different ways. It promotes satiation by slowing gastric emptying, altering glycemic or insulin response, decreasing absorption of macronutrients, and by altering the secretion of gut hormones linked to hunger.
Over the last decade many the most popular weight-loss diets have trended towards high-protein and low-carbohydrate intakes to lose weight. Unfortunately, in an effort to lower carbohydrate intake, these diets often have very low fiber intake as well. Analysis of low carbohydrate diets reveal that in some cases dietary fiber intake is as low as 1.6 grams/day and is almost always less than 10 grams/day.
The author of this review suggests that regardless of dieting method that individuals choose to follow, they should consider the addition of fiber to aid their weight-loss. Dietary fiber can be increased through increasing consumption fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, or through a fiber supplement.
Huaidong Du et al. Dietary fiber and subsequent changes in body weight and waist circumference in European men and womenAm J Clin Nutr Vol. 91, No. 2, 329-336, February 2010.
Slavin J. Dietary fiber and body weight. Nutrition 21(2005);411-418.
Note the very bottom of article: Increase your intake for fruits and vegetables for fiber. Fiber first!
January 7, 2015
Higher dietary fiber intake is linked to reduced body weight
At a Glance Studies show that in addition to its established role in supporting overall health, higher dietary fiber consumption may play a significant role in weight loss and obesity. Read more about this research below.
Dietary fiber plays many important roles in the body, and intake has been linked to cardiovascular health and a lower risk of certain cancers. Additionally, evidence from observational studies has linked fiber intake to body weight, showing that obese men and women are likely to consume significantly less dietary fiber than lean individuals.
One particular cohort study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, included 89,432 European participants, aged 20–78 years, who were initially free of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Participants were followed for an average of 6.5 years. Results indicated that total dietary fiber intake was inversely associated with weight and change in waist circumference during the study period. At 10 grams/day higher total fiber intake, there was an estimated 39 grams/year weight loss and waist circumference decreased by 0.08 cm/year. A 10 grams/day fiber intake from cereals alone results in 77 grams/year weight reduction and 0.10 cm/year reduction in waist circumference. Fruit and vegetable fiber was not associated with weight change but had an effect similar to total and cereal fiber intake on reduced waist circumference.
In another study, a review article published in the journal Nutrition suggests that dietary fiber helps prevent obesity in several different ways. It promotes satiation by slowing gastric emptying, altering glycemic or insulin response, decreasing absorption of macronutrients, and by altering the secretion of gut hormones linked to hunger.
Over the last decade many the most popular weight-loss diets have trended towards high-protein and low-carbohydrate intakes to lose weight. Unfortunately, in an effort to lower carbohydrate intake, these diets often have very low fiber intake as well. Analysis of low carbohydrate diets reveal that in some cases dietary fiber intake is as low as 1.6 grams/day and is almost always less than 10 grams/day.
The author of this review suggests that regardless of dieting method that individuals choose to follow, they should consider the addition of fiber to aid their weight-loss. Dietary fiber can be increased through increasing consumption fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, or through a fiber supplement.
Huaidong Du et al. Dietary fiber and subsequent changes in body weight and waist circumference in European men and womenAm J Clin Nutr Vol. 91, No. 2, 329-336, February 2010.
Slavin J. Dietary fiber and body weight. Nutrition 21(2005);411-418.
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Higher fiber intake improves survival time after a heart attack
At a Glance
A new study shows that people who survive heart attacks may improve their chance of survival by increasing their dietary intake of fiber.
Read more about this research below. Diet plays an important role in the development of heart disease, yet secondary prevention guidelines tend to emphasize pharmaceuticals over diet and lifestyle recommendations. Adequate dietary fiber intake is known to be associated with a lowered risk of many conditions, such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Whether, and to what extent, fiber intake impacts survival after a heart attack is less known.
In a new study published in the British Medical Journal, researchers analyzed data from two large studies, the Nurse’s Health Study and the Health Professional Follow-Up Study, to determine whether increased fiber intake would improve chances of survival after a heart attack. Of the total of 173,229 patients in the study, researchers looked at 4,098 men and women who had survived a first heart attack and followed them for an average of nine years. Detailed questionnaires were completed several times during the follow-up period and used to analyze lifestyle habits.
Participants were separated into five groups (quintiles) according to their dietary fiber intake after their heart attack. Those who ate the most fiber had a 25% lower chance of dying from any cause in the nine years after their heart attack compared with those who ate the least fiber. When considering only cardiovascular causes of death (heart attack, stroke and coronary heart disease), the top quintile had a 13% lower mortality risk than those with the lowest intake. Researchers also found that every 10g per day increase in dietary fiber was associated with a 15% lower risk of death over the nine-year follow-up period.
When the specific type of dietary fiber was looked at individually (cereal, fruit or vegetable), only higher cereal fiber intake was strongly associated with an increase in long-term survival after a heart attack.
Currently, only 5% of Americans consume the minimum recommendation of dietary fiber of 25 g per day for women and 38 g per day for men. With more people surviving heart attacks, it is increasingly important to emphasize healthy lifestyle choices in addition to appropriate medication to improve long-term health and survival.
Shanshan Li et al. Dietary fiber intake and mortality among survivors of myocardial infarction: prospective cohort study BMJ 2014;348:g2659 doi: 10.1136/bmj.g2659
Digestive Health and Skin Care with Dr. Susan Kleiner
On Wednesday February 21, 2013 I was privy to a webinar hosted by USANA Health Sciences that featured a talk on Digestive Health and Skin Care by Dr. Susan Kleiner who has an impressive set of initials next to her name. She holds a Phd, is a Registered Dietician, Fellow of International Sports Science, a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition and CNS. This a person who loves what they do and works as a consultant with Olympic and elite athletes to help them get and stay on track in their nutritional and performance needs. She is a Silver Director with Usana Health Sciences.
In a metaphor I have not been able to shirk for days, Dr. Kleiner began her illustrative talk explaining that digestion for the human being actually begins in the mouth and continues via "one long tube". She made a strong case that humans are essentially one long tube encased by the skin which acts as a passage way from the outside environment to the inner one. While it was a bit odd thinking of myself in that way, there was no denying that my awareness of my own gastro intestinal digestive tract became heightend this past week. Science can certainly be good for a kind of detachment from identification with the body in the way it picks systems apart.
Complexity of Absorption
There are at least 9 different enzymes manufactured by the body to digest our foods which can be divided into carbs, proteins, fats, dairy and nucleic acids. The sites of release for these enzymes are the mouth, the small intestine and the stomach. Some of these enzymes like lactase are released upon demand. In other words, your body will manufacture enzymes as needed which can explain when introducing a new food into your system why it can feel uncomfortable at first. A period of adjustment is needed to let the "manufacturing plant" know they need to get on the ball and supply that specific enzyme designed to break down a particular food. The majority of digestion is
accomplished before food enters the duodenum or at least should if you have spent an adequate amount of time chewing your food properly. While "wolfing" down your food down may occur from time to time, it's important to remember that we are not wolves thus we need to chew our food well so as not to suffer from indigestion.
The Landscape of the Body
Looking at these photographs was similar to looking at an internal version of the the Grand Canyon I visited a few years ago. It is indeed a complex landscape with it's own version of jagged terrain. The lumen or the intestinal wall is not flat and is made up of
innumerable villi and micro villi. It looks something like peaks and
valleys with a textured surface with microscopic and subscopic
hairs. The food you eat passes along and through all this surface area
of the gasto intestinal tract that is exposed to the outside environment
via the mouth and the skin. It's easy to see why eating adequate
amounts of fiber, fruits and vegetables is so very important as food can
easily get left behind to lodge and rot in any of this expansive surface!
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
This is why the purity, potency, and disintegration of any supplement (or food
item for that matter) is so very important. Kleiner pointed out that
NSF certification, WADA approval and peer reviewed published research
papers within the scientific community are critical tools the consumer
can use to make sure what you are putting in your body is up to elite
athlete standards. It serves as a bar to measure against the run of the
mill products that do not pass muster. It was interesting to note that USANA supplements dissolve in water as opposed to vinegar within 35 minutes. This reflects the reality that the average person's digestive system is so weak in terms of acidic production that it is required that supplements be highly bio available.
So What Does This Have to Healthy With Skin? It's Probiotics
Dr. Kleiner pointed out that we don't want to be absorbing contaminants
but with so many of us living in urban areas what can be done? Probiotics work together with our immune system and probiotic cells are most heavily concentrated in the gut. They provide anti fungal, anti viral and anti bacterial protection, forming a physical barrier to hinder the invasion of yeasts and bacteria. Probiotic cells also share their genes with our digestive tract as they have a symbiotic relationship. Eating probiotic foods such as kimchee, pickled products, whole probiotic yoghurts help keep the healthy bacteria in balance. According to Kleiner, the two strains of cultures found in USANA probiotics have proven to be the most efficacious in study after study. So while it may look impressive to have several cultures in a probiotic, this doesn't mean that they are actually doing you much good. Inuline is important and found in Fibergy plus. Flax seeds are a good source of inuline and she recommends 1 to 2 tablespoons daily.
For Dr. Kleiner using USANA's Probiotic is a "non - negotiable" item for her patients and recommends it be taken every other day. It can be taken in water or in food although the temperature of the food should not be hot to preserve the beneficial properties of the strains. Grueling travel, hotel stays, variances in food quality and water can make a person uncomfortable and not feeling their best while on the road. The probiotics boosts the bodies ability to not only digest but keep a healthy balance of "bad" and "good" probiotics in the GI tract. If a person is experiencing bloating or gas the Digestive Enzyme is recommended. If fiber is an issue the Fibergy Plus is an excellent product because it provides the bulk the body needs in the form of insoluble fiber, and choline, a B vitamin essential as a neuro - transmitter. Every time you move or have a thought, choline or the lack of it, plays a role. Although I am not an egg eater myself, Dr. Kleiner pointed out that the idea that egg yolks contribute to high cholesterol is a fallacy and that as a nation we suffer from a choline deficiency by - 50%. This is an interesting observation given the increased statistics for Alzheimers and the amont of egg yolks dumped down the drain. Soy lecithin is another way to get adequate amounts of choline in the diet to insure that your noggin and motor skills function optimally. Choline also helps move nutrients into the cells and toxins or waste matter out.
MyHealthpak Beauty Edition and Sense Skin Care
In conclusion, Dr. Kleiner recommends Usana's MyHealthpak Beauty Edition and the Sense Skin care line for strong hair, nails, vision and healthy skin. The MyHealthpak Beauty Edition contains;
- Procosa a non- animal based version of chondontrin which is an anti -
inflammatory and important for skin health
- CoQ 100 important for maintaining metabolic function as we age
- Visionex for healthy eyes - the highest concentration of lutein is in the eye Adequate amounts help prevent macular degeneration and
loss of vision
- Proflavanol C 200- A hybrid formula patented by USANA that provides the cells with optimal bioflavanoids and C for the skin which has many demands placed upon it and has a high cell turnover.
- The topical nutrition that Sense skin care provides in the form of DSR
technology, Regenisomes, Proflavanol - T, Proteo - C help repair the skin.
The packaging is designed to not attract bacteria that can turn into
inflammation or acne. Tips: Be sure to eat High Fiber foods daily such as carrots,winter
squash, dates, tomatoes, romaine, Bibb or Boston lettuce, whole grains
and cereals, fresh fruit with skin on it like apples, pears, fruit juices with the pulp, cabbage, yams and sweet potatoes. Feeding your skin with foods rich in anti oxidants such
as almonds, dark chocolate, tomatoes, and rich in omega 3
fatty acids are a must. And don't forget the pickles!
