Fiber Awareness
Fiber Reduces Inflammation
Medicine is moving its focus to the area of inflammation in its search for an underlying cause of disease. One of the most commonly discussed inflammatory markers is C reactive protein (CRP). This is a protein produced during all kinds of inflammatory processes.
C reactive protein level is one of the strongest risk indicators for the development of atherosclerosis and heart disease. Discussion of controlling levels of this inflammatory marker have focused on the use of fish oils and antioxidants, particularly vitamin C.
Researcher Yunscheng Ma, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts, recently conducted a study which suggests an unusual means of reducing C reactive protein and inflammation in the body. The researcher studied the data of 524 healthy adults and found that there is an inverse relationship or association between total daily dietary fiber intake and levels of C reactive protein.
The quarter of the test subjects on the highest fiber intake had a 63% lower risk of having elevated CRP than did those in the lowest quartile of fiber intake. Average fiber intake for those getting the most fiber was 22.36 grams a day, while the average fiber in the diet of those on the lowest intake was 10.22 grams per day. This writer feels that a healthy fiber intake should be at least 25-35 grams a day!
This observation is quite surprising and unexpected. One would not usually seek to reduce inflammation by increasing fiber intake. The observation does not make sense, however.
Fiber moves bacteria through the digestive tract, preventing the buildup of bacterial populations and bacterial toxins. Some types of fiber also provide nutrition for the digestive tract. High fiber intake appears to reduce the risk of oxidation of fats and may promote the excretion in the bile of excess fats.
A diet high in refined carbohydrates and low in fiber may lead to elevated blood sugar which causes the excretion by the immune system of inflammatory compounds.
Fiber intake can be increased by greater intake of whole grains, fruits and vegetables in the diet.
Benefits of Fiber:
The benefits of fiber go far beyond prevention of cancer of the colon. Research credits fiber with reducing the risk of heart disease, biventricular disease, appendicitis, phlebitis and obesity. Fiber also prevents constipation which can lead to hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and phlebitis.
Hemorrhoids
Nearly half of the population of United States over 50 years of age suffers with hemorrhoids, and it is no laughing matter. Hemorrhoids are a major cause of pain and disability. Tens of millions of dollars are spent each year on preparations and suppositories which cannot possibly affect the basic problem.
Clearly there is no way to reverse the damage already done to the veins of the rectu and anus. But a high-roughage diet can help prevent bleeding, relieve the pressure within the stretched and distorted veins, and help forestall the formation of new hemorrhoids. It can also provide freedom from the expensive ritual of ointments, suppositories, laxatives, and all the rest of the patent medicines that hemorrhoid suffers turn to in desperation.
Varicose Veins
Increasing the fiber intake will also prevent varicose veins in much the same way it prevents hemorrhoids. Straining at the stool due to inadequate fiber intake places stress on the veins and contributes to the development of varicose veins. Varicose veins are a precursor to more serious problems: phlebothrombosis (a blood clot in a vein), thrombophlebitis (inflammation of the vein), and pulmonary embolism (in which the clot breaks loose and plugs pulmonary arteries leading to circulatory collapse, heart failure and even death).
GNLD Fiber Products
GNLD offers a number of fiber supplements. One favorite is the Vitality Multi-Fiber Blend. The supplement boasts a blend of 19 different fibers with no added sugars, starches, artificial colors or preservatives. This supplement can be added to protein drinks, fruit juice or milk. It can also be added to baked goods as a thickener and to increase fiber content.
Another popular fiber product is the All Natural Fiber. This GNLD fiber contains the company’s exclusive Neo-Polyfibe, the cellular matrix of the heart of the soybean blended with specially selected whole oat and acerola fiber. Unlike bran, this fiber component can help absorb cholesterol from the digestive tract and carry it out ofa the body, without robbing the body of minerals as is the case with some other fiber products.
Another unique GNLD fiber product is the GR2 Appetite Reducer. This supplement contains a fiber from Konjac called glucomannan which has the unique property of expanding up to 50 times its weight when moistened. This forms something like a jell in the stomach which makes a person feel full. The fiber also slows the absorption of carbohydrates keeping blood sugar stable, increasing energy, and making it easier to lose weight. Appetite Reducer contains other kinds of fibers which have been shown to regulate blood sugar. For example, barley bran has been used as a natural treatment for diabetes in Iraq.
It is very important to realize that there is not one type of fiber, there are many types of fiber. Insoluble fibers bulk up the stool and are very efficient at alleviating constipation problems and reducing the risk of appendicitis, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids.
Soluble fibers are much more efficient at slowing the absorption of glucose providing benefits for those with blood sugar irregularities and reducing the risk of obesity and heart disease.
Pectins are a type of fiber which is particularly valuable for absorbing toxins from the gut and promoting their elimination. These toxins can make a person feel poorly if they are absorbed into the bloodstream and circulated throughout the body.
GNLD uses multiple sources of fiber in their fiber products because they are seeking to provide the wide variety of fibers found in foods. This is highly desirable as one type of fiber, while it may be beneficial, will not provide the full range of benefits offered by the spectrum of fibers available from different food sources.
***As set down by the Food and Drug Administration,
vitamin supplement products cannot be advertised as intended
to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.***
Site Map
Amazing Health Products
Kerry Coates
P O Box 1005
Capitan, NM, USA 88316
(South of Santa Fe!)
575.354.2086
E-Mail
Authorized Distributor
© Copyright 2002. Golden NeoLife Diamite Distributor
All rights reserved.
Contact the webmaster: Amazing Health Products
This site is labeled with ICRA.
Natural fiber also prevents constipation which can lead to hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and phlebitis.
