Dietry Fibre: Are you made of the Good Stuff!

       

         High Dietary Fibre Linked to Reduced Chronic illness

Moral Fibre is one thing...but are you getting enough Dietary Fibre

Once again this last week, interesting research caught my and many other eye's...but still, almost one week later l can't quite put my finger on what makes me feel not quite right about it...though some things seem to me glaringly obvious as you will see......

" Intakes of dietary fibre, cereal fibre, and whole grains are associated with linear decreases in the risk of colorectal cancer. Evidence of an association between intake of fruit, vegetable, or legume fibre and risk of colorectal cancer was lacking. Intake of dietary fibre, particularly cereal fibre and whole grains, was associated with a small reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer "

    

An overall viewpoint from recent analysis highlighted in the British Medical Journal  that more or less, increased whole grains in daily diet help reduce risk and incident of colon cancer whereas fibre derived from fruit and vegetables does not have the same overall affect!
According to the research, for every10grams a day increase in Fibre, there was a 10% drop in the risk of colon cancer.
An addition of 3 servings per day, almost 90 grams of Fibre from whole grains was linked to 20% reduction in the risk of colon Cancer.

So a great golden tick for the whole grain/cereal industry.

Really! 

This current work carried out by University's in London and Leeds in the Uk and Wageningen University and Research Centre in Holland, took into account research from 25 previous "observational" studys that came to the conclusion that fibre, especially from cereal fibre and Whole Grains such as "Whole Grain Breads" all of which led to increased prevention of Colon Cancer, and as highlighted by other studies, possibly beneficial in terms of reduced obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and ultimately possible mortality reduction.

But whole gains as fibre is not the magic anti cancer/anti disease bullet for many around world if we take into account that conditions associated with potential intolerances to wheat and gluten found in many whole grains breads, cereals, flours etc may hinder the use of the particular fibre source because of the problems it can cause so many.

Conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), potentially affects 10-20% of the worlds population and IBS conditions may be troubled by flour based/grain based products making the importance of other sources of fibre such as from fruits and vegetables and beans all the more important.

Yet last weeks highlighted research fails to take into account the many issues with the type of sources of fibre they concluded were most beneficial as some fibre may not benefit everyone, especially those with digestive complaints.

Nor did this study, which they and many independent experts pointed out highlight and clarify the types of fibre that should be eaten to reduce disease risk.

All Dietary Fibre is beneficial....

Some is just more or less benficial than others

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There are two types of Dietry Fibre....Soluble and Insoluble, though in the field of medicine and nutrition would rather they be classified as Viscous and Fermentable to more adequately describe the "physiological effects of all the different types of fibre"...but this is yet to happen on a more prominent basis.


Soluble Fibre

Soluble Fibre is found in Oat Bran, Oats, Barley, apples, pears,  green peas, various beans, some nuts and other fruits and vegetables such as Berries, plums, Bananas, Broccoli, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes and onions. 

Soluble Fibre mechanism allows it to bind to bile acids in the small intestine making them less likely to enter the body, this can reduce the absorption of dietary Cholesterol thus helping to lower Cholesterol levels in the bloods. This can Ultimately help normal Cholesterol levels, help promote weight loss, improve hypertension and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Soluble fibre may also play a part in helping normalize blood glucose levels by slowing the rate at which food leaves the stomach and delaying the absorption of glucose following a meal, being able to enhance insulin sensitivity and thus playing a preventative role against Type 2 Diabetes.

Insoluble Fibre

Insoluble Fibre is found in Whole Grain foods (wheat, oats, Brown rice, barley, maize, Buckwheat), Wheat Bran, nuts and seeds, green beans, cauliflower, courgette (Zucchini), Avocado, Bananas, flax and hemp seed.

This type of fibre is not fermentable in the large intestine and thus collects and absorbs water as it moves through the digestive tract increasing the bulk of feces, promoting bowel movement and bowel regularity that can reduce the risk of colon related problems such as Hemorrhoids and more importantly, Colon Cancer.

Best Sources of Dietary Fibre:

• Raspberries
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Swiss Chard
• Spinach
• Celery
• Cabbage
• Green beans
• Cranberries
• Strawberries
• Winter Squash
• Kale
• Carrots
• Lentils
• Brussels sprouts
• Asparagus
• Green peas
• Whole Wheat
• Oats
• Brown Rice                 

**(Sources taken from World's Healthiest Foods)**

Dietary fibre has many potential great benefits for health as part of a well balanced diet, it is benefical in many forms and should be part of our every day diet, though some maybe more benefical than others and I just wish sometimes that researchers would may be explain better differences that may exist in a researched model, in this instance the difference between soluble and Insoluble fibre, and importantly, not always treat everyone the same in terms of it's benefit and effect.

 As highlighted above, with the complex world wide problem that are digestive complaints such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affecting so many people, important information as to some forms of dietary fiber being more beneficial at the expense, very markedly of others, in this instance against the effectiveness of fibre attained from Fruits and vegetables l do feel a tad frustrated when patients take such headlines literally!

But then again, that's maybe what lm here to do, for my patients and all alike!

Nutrition Advice

For more benefits of a well balanced diet, healthier lifestyle and learning about the benefits of Dietary Fiber and what sources of fiber are suitable for you and how you can incorporate it into your daily diet, come and visit me at the SoOrganic Greenwich Clinic sooner rather than later!

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Oranges. The Whole greater than the Sum of it's parts!

I take it all of you enjoyed those wonderfully nutritious and beneficial stocking fillers on Christmas Day!
For some of us it was the only thing in our Christmas stocking (weep), but the humble Orange packs a mighty punch, and according to recent research, no amount Vitamin C powder, tablet or whatever supplement form gets dreamt up, can in the end replace the simple, peeling, eating, juicing, squeezing of this natural wonder.

An Orange is NOT just for Christmas!

Researchers have been looking why the WHOLE is so much better for you than it's components when taken separately. That would be the 'sum of it's parts' bit then! 

In essence, researchers are looking at the benefits of supplementation that contains vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances as close to their original food state as possible, which would hopefully have a greater benefit to health than what already exists in the wider market.
For the Orange that would be to capture the best benefits of peeling and eating an Orange, as well as drinking the squeezed juice.

Eat whole, fruit salad, juice, smoothie!!

The team at Brigham Young University, Utah, USA, have been considering what it is in the nature and structure of the Orange that makes it so much better than current Vitamin C supplementation, BYU assistant professor of nutrition, dietetics and food science, Tory Parker:


"There's something about an orange that's better than taking a vitamin C capsule, and that's really what we're trying to figure out. We think it's the particular mixture of antioxidants in an orange that makes it so good for you."

 
Once reserved for special occasions in medieval times due to their expensive nature, and then becoming a staple for the contents of the Christmas Stocking ever since the reign of Queen Victoria, the Orange is now very much affordable and available and one of the most popular and most used fruits in the world.

Not only providing excellent levels of Vitamin C, but also dietary Fibre, Folate, energy producing Vitamin B1 and Calcium amongst other Vitamins and minerals, Oranges also contain more than 60 Flavonoids that provide a powerful anti-inflammatory/antioxidant effect by interacting with Vitamin C and hopefully providing protection against oxidative damage to cell structures, including DNA.

Foods or Supplements.Can they both be effective?

What previous studies have shown prior to BYU's work has suggested that Vitamin C are more readily absorbed when consumed together with other biological active Flavonoids or Phytonutrients contained in citrus fruits than when taken singly as maybe the case with supplement form.
BYU research wanted to look at the large combinations of antioxidants found in the orange at the same proportions they occur naturally with significant results-

"Cases where the effect of two or more antioxidants together was stronger than the sum of them separately."

 
Identifying combinations of antioxidants found not only in Oranges, but also in Blueberries and Strawberries the University team were able to identify specific compounds within the fruit, for instance in Oranges, hesperidin which has been shown to lower high blood pressure as well as Cholesterol in animal studies, and naringenin that together when working with Vitamin C provide the greatest antioxidant punch and hence potential benefit to health.


Whilst the best antioxidant mixtures are further studied and developed by commited teams such as those led by head author Brenner Freeman and Tory Parker at BYU, one thing is for sure, as l point out to my patients and will always hopefully portray in these articles, eating the healthy, hopefully Organic (or well washed) fruit will be more beneficial to the majority than the parts that make up the supplement!

Journal Reference:

1. Brenner L. Freeman, Dennis L. Eggett, Tory L. Parker. Synergistic and Antagonistic Interactions of Phenolic Compounds Found in Navel Oranges.Journal of Food Science, 2010; 75 (6): C570 DOI : 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01717.x

And though l don't calorie count...at just 62 Calories, what better food as part of a well balanced diet could there be!

Find fruits your enjoy-make up a fruit salad on the weekends for the days ahead!

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Garlic-A Vampires best friend.... if they have High Blood pressure!

Garlic may be useful in addition to medication to treat high blood pressure, an Australian study suggests, as recently reported in Maturitas, An international journal of midlife health and beyond

Australian doctors enrolled 50 patients in a trial to see if garlic supplements could help those whose blood pressure was high, despite medication.
Those given four capsules of garlic extract a day had lower blood pressure than those on placebo, they report in a scientific journal.
The leading UK Heart Health charity, The British Heart Foundation said more research was needed.
Garlic has long been though to be good for the heart.
Garlic supplements have previously been shown to lower cholesterol and reduce high blood pressure in those with untreated hypertension.
In the latest study, researchers from the University of Adelaide, Australia, looked at the effects of four capsules a day of a supplement known as aged garlic for 12 weeks.
They found systolic blood pressure was around 10mmHg lower in the group given garlic compared with those given a placebo.
Researcher Karin Ried said: "Garlic supplements have been associated with a blood pressure lowering effect of clinical significance in patients with untreated hypertension.
"Our trial, however, is the first to assess the effect, tolerability and acceptability of aged garlic extract as an additional treatment to existing antihypertensive medication in patients with treated, but uncontrolled, hypertension."
Experts say garlic supplements should only be used after seeking medical advice, as garlic can thin the blood or interact with some medicines.
Ellen Mason, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said using garlic for medicinal purposes dates back thousands of years, but it is essential that scientific research proves that garlic can help conditions such as raised blood pressure.
She said: "This study demonstrated a slight blood pressure reduction after using aged garlic supplements but it's not significant enough or in a large enough group of people to currently recommend it instead of medication.
"It's a concern that so many people in the UK have poorly controlled blood pressure, with an increased risk of stroke and heart disease as a consequence. So enjoy garlic as part of your diet but don't stop taking your blood pressure medication."

The study is reported in the journal Maturitas, highlights once again this amazing culinary delight, as grown by myself and my dear friends on our Organic allotment this last year.
A previous study reported in New Scientist magazine, and Journal Nutrition and Cancer, highlighted the important work of New Zealand husband and wife research team, Rex and Christine Munday whose work concentrated on key ingredients in Raw garlic called diallyl disulfide and it's potential role in staving off cancer.

I say, one clove, grated, raw, left to stand for 5 minutes then add to food. For the same effect when cooking garlic, try 3-4 cloves.
Yum, smelly, healthy Yum........but don't ask me to star in any Twilight Saga movies!