Benefits of FIBER?!

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EthanJeremiahsMama
EthanJeremiahsMama Posts: 534 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello MFP friends! So I have a bag of Bob's Red Mill Flaxseed Meal in my fridge. I usually like to add it to my oatmeal, cereal, salad, anything.. I haven't been using it lately though. I'd like to know what are the benefits of fiber - flax seeds?? What exactly does it do for your body & weight loss? Is it bad to go over your fiber intake everyday?

I'd just like a clear understanding on this!! Thanks!

Replies

  • milaxx
    milaxx Posts: 1,122 Member
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    Hello MFP friends! So I have a bag of Bob's Red Mill Flaxseed Meal in my fridge. I usually like to add it to my oatmeal, cereal, salad, anything.. I haven't been using it lately though. I'd like to know what are the benefits of fiber - flax seeds?? What exactly does it do for your body & weight loss? Is it bad to go over your fiber intake everyday?

    I'd just like a clear understanding on this!! Thanks!

    Helps you poop. Basically fiber helps keep you regular. Just make sure you are getting enough water. I don;t think it's bad to go over your finer intake since your body will void what it does't use.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    Fiber keeps you full and helps you poop xD
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    If you go way over (like 50+ grams in one day) and you are not used to consuming that much during one day, then you will have constipation and digestion issues while your body tries to process it.

    If you notice you are eating a lot of fiber during the day, make sure to drink plenty of water. The water will help your body work through the fiber.

    Recommended for women under 50 is, I think, 25grams of fiber each day. Going over this is ok, just make sure to have that water with it. Fiber helps you poop, which is more than just being comfortable and not cramping/bloating up. Old poo hanging out in your intestines is a bad thing, so the fiber helps move it all along, clearing out old stuff and keeping you regular.
  • Jemmuno
    Jemmuno Posts: 413 Member
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    You can never have too much fiber. Our body doesn't actually absorb it, it's used to keep our digestive system regular. When you eat a lot of fiber make sure your drinking a lot of water because if you don't you'll get extremely constipated. Eating a lot of fiber helps prevent diverticulitis which are little sacs of literally poop that are created off the sides of your intestines, and eating lots of fiber helps to keep the walls of your intestines flat so those little sacs are not created.
  • rf1170
    rf1170 Posts: 180 Member
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    Besides the fiber it offers, flax seed is full of vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. Keep it in the fridge, though, because seeds and nuts will go rancid - and they'll do it faster if they're ground into flour or meal. I like eating ground flax seeds on my yogurt with some fruit, and when I bake I throw some into whatever I'm making (pizza crust, pancakes, white bread, etc.). Good luck!
  • gunther0013
    gunther0013 Posts: 15 Member
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    First of all Fiber is a natural hunger suppressant and can really hold you over between meals. I eat a Fiber-1 bar every morning for breakfast. There is such a thing as eating too much fiber however. It can cause issues with your intestines. Like bloating, cramping, and other issues. If you have a regular intake of fiber in your diet then you should be ok though. Remember that fiber is natural so you may be consuming it in the foods you eat as well. Many fruits are high in fiber. Good Luck.
  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
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    If you go way over (like 50+ grams in one day) and you are not used to consuming that much during one day, then you will have constipation and digestion issues while your body tries to process it.

    Finally! I remember a doctor looking at me funny when I told him that all-bran actually makes me constipated!

    Oh and also, doesn't fibre do something for your cholesterol levels or something?
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    Besides the fiber it offers, flax seed is full of vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids.

    Forgot that hugely awesome benefit of flax. Omega-3s are still being studied, but researchers are seeing less depression symptoms and more energy/happiness in folks who consume a bit of Omega-3. Supposedly, humans need a balance of omega3 and 6. We get a LOT of omega 6 from corn syrups and other processed foods, but omega 3s are found mainly in fish and some bran products, not something we eat a lot of usually. Getting more omega 3 and trying to reduce the amount of omega 6 is showing very incredible results in the studies.

    Here is a short page about what I just mentioned, detailing a bit more than I can. :)
    http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400400/Affecting-the-Balance-Between-Omega3-and-Omega6.html
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    If you go way over (like 50+ grams in one day) and you are not used to consuming that much during one day, then you will have constipation and digestion issues while your body tries to process it.

    Finally! I remember a doctor looking at me funny when I told him that all-bran actually makes me constipated!

    Oh and also, doesn't fibre do something for your cholesterol levels or something?

    Yeah, a sudden increase will definitely stop you up. But eventually your body would have gotten used to the all-bran and gotten back on track.

    About fiber/cholesterol relationship:
    http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/cardiovascular/cholesterol/foods-that-lower-cholesterol2.htm

    Basically you eat fiber, and you poop more. The more you poop, the more bile you poo out. The less bile you have, the more bile you need to make. To make bile, your body uses cholesterol. So because you are making more bile than previously, the fiber in turn uses up your cholesterol stores.
  • TheGlen
    TheGlen Posts: 242 Member
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    So, when I was in school, I learned that fibre was "nature's little scrub brush" and helps you "stay regular".

    I've been reading some stuff lately that says, maybe fibre isn't as good for us as we thought:

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/
    “You need the fiber!”
    Okay, for one: no, I don’t. If you’re referring to its oft-touted ability to move things along in the inner sanctum, fiber has some unintended consequences. A few years back, scientists found that high-fiber foods “bang up against the cells lining the gastrointestinal tract, rupturing their outer covering” which “increases the level of lubricating mucus.” Err, that sounds positively awful. Banging and tearing? Rupturing? These are not the words I like to hear. But wait! The study’s authors say, “It’s a good thing.” Fantastic! So when all those sticks and twigs rub up against my fleshy interior and literally rupture my intestinal lining, I’ve got nothing to worry about. It’s all part of the plan, right?

    This is one person's opinion...I'm not saying it's right, just that there are arguments for both sides.
  • significance
    significance Posts: 436 Member
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    Fibre also helps prevent bowel cancer.
  • BrewerGeorge
    BrewerGeorge Posts: 397 Member
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    So, when I was in school, I learned that fibre was "nature's little scrub brush" and helps you "stay regular".

    I've been reading some stuff lately that says, maybe fibre isn't as good for us as we thought:

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/
    “You need the fiber!”
    Okay, for one: no, I don’t. If you’re referring to its oft-touted ability to move things along in the inner sanctum, fiber has some unintended consequences. A few years back, scientists found that high-fiber foods “bang up against the cells lining the gastrointestinal tract, rupturing their outer covering” which “increases the level of lubricating mucus.” Err, that sounds positively awful. Banging and tearing? Rupturing? These are not the words I like to hear. But wait! The study’s authors say, “It’s a good thing.” Fantastic! So when all those sticks and twigs rub up against my fleshy interior and literally rupture my intestinal lining, I’ve got nothing to worry about. It’s all part of the plan, right?

    This is one person's opinion...I'm not saying it's right, just that there are arguments for both sides.
    I was going to mention the exact same thing. I haven't read enough yet to form a contrary opinion, but I'm researching.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    So, when I was in school, I learned that fibre was "nature's little scrub brush" and helps you "stay regular".

    I've been reading some stuff lately that says, maybe fibre isn't as good for us as we thought:

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/
    “You need the fiber!”
    ...

    I can see where that author is heading. He does say that he doesn't need fiber, but what I really got from reading that is that he doesn't need fiber from grain sources. I'm guessing fiber from vegetables and fruit sources would be ok with that author, as it isn't really a stick or twig that is heading down south to rupture your cells.

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