** [NOTE: for additional background, see Wikipedia links with this color] **

Over the past few years, consumers have shown more interest in the health values of

dietary fiber due mainly to successes with human clinical trials and effective marketing of products containing oats, barley or psyllium seed husk -- the only three grains providing fiber now proven to lower high blood levels of cholesterol.

Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, these important studies have demonstrated this cardiovascular health benefit

from regular use of dietary products that contain

• oat soluble fibers (polysaccharides) called beta-glucans -- 3 grams per day, OR
• barley beta-glucans -- 3 grams per day, OR
• mucilage soluble fibers from psyllium ("silly-um") seed husk -- 7 grams per day

 

Soluble vs. Insoluble Fibers

To conceptualize insoluble and soluble fibers, consider the segments of a plum (or prune). The plum skin is an example of an insoluble fiber source, whereas soluble fiber sources are inside the pulp.

Other sources of insoluble fiber include: whole wheat, wheat or corn bran, flax seeds, and vegetables like carrots, celery, green beans and potato skins. All plant foods have both sources of fiber.

The Linus Pauling Institute, Micronutrient Information Center, of Oregon State University

has an excellent discussion of dietary fiber and food sources; click here

Why is fiber good for us?

Most people associate fiber with bowel regularity - a valuable benefit in itself -

but this is only a minor part of the fiber story.

"Soluble" fibers, also called fermentable or viscous fibers, have

a wider range of health benefits than do insoluble fibers.

Fermentation occurs naturally in the colon of the lower digestive tract,

within the mid- and lower large intestine.

Click here for a good review of the human digestive tract and its functions

 

The Berry Fiber Story: Plain and Simple

• Most berries have relatively thin skins so are not

especially important as sources of insoluble fiber

• Content of soluble (fermentable) fibers in berries, however, is high,

among the densest as a plant food category

• Açaí berries (Brazilian palmberry, Euterpe oleracea) and Rubus berries,

e.g., raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and blackberry (Rubus ursinus)

have exceptional levels of dietary fiber

         

Açaí (Euterpe oleracea), highest plant food source of dietary fibers reported to date

Red raspberries (Rubus idaeus), rich in fermentable fiber

Picture courtesy of Bremner Foods

Berries not only have high total fiber content per weight but a

high percentage of soluble (fermentable) fibers, such as

pectins, polysaccharides and hemicelluloses.

 

Coming Up!

Part 2: Products of fermentation

Powerful health benefits of short-chain fatty acids

Part 3: Lowering disease risk by increasing dietary intake of high-fiber foods

 

Archives (click!)

 

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Dr. Paul
The Berry Doctor