All Fibers Are NOT Created Equal!

Healthier_Me
Healthier_Me Posts: 5,600 Member
edited September 19 in Food and Nutrition
You may have noticed that EVERYTHING has fiber these days. And lots more of it. It's not uncommon to find ice cream products with 4 grams of fiber per serving -- and snack bars with 12 grams of the stuff. It's a little KOOKY! A recent article in Nutrition Action Healthletter (from our pals at CSPI) points out some key facts about "high-fiber" foods that have been infused with isolated fibers, like inulin, maltodextrin, and polydextrose. These fibers are likely not as beneficial to your health as intact fibers, and they probably won't lower your cholesterol or blood sugar.

Bottom line? As long as you don't overdo it, these fibers probably won't hurt you (they cause some people stomach discomfort in large doses). But if you're looking to meet the RDA of fiber for health reasons, you might want to only count naturally occurring fibers, like those in whole grains, fruits, and veggies. P.S. T he article doesn't suggest that these isolated fibers contain fully digestible calories (regular fiber doesn't either), so calorie counts on products that subtract calories from fiber aren't affected.

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  • Healthier_Me
    Healthier_Me Posts: 5,600 Member
    You may have noticed that EVERYTHING has fiber these days. And lots more of it. It's not uncommon to find ice cream products with 4 grams of fiber per serving -- and snack bars with 12 grams of the stuff. It's a little KOOKY! A recent article in Nutrition Action Healthletter (from our pals at CSPI) points out some key facts about "high-fiber" foods that have been infused with isolated fibers, like inulin, maltodextrin, and polydextrose. These fibers are likely not as beneficial to your health as intact fibers, and they probably won't lower your cholesterol or blood sugar.

    Bottom line? As long as you don't overdo it, these fibers probably won't hurt you (they cause some people stomach discomfort in large doses). But if you're looking to meet the RDA of fiber for health reasons, you might want to only count naturally occurring fibers, like those in whole grains, fruits, and veggies. P.S. T he article doesn't suggest that these isolated fibers contain fully digestible calories (regular fiber doesn't either), so calorie counts on products that subtract calories from fiber aren't affected.
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