The Scoop on
Dietary Fiber:
The Bran Difference
9407 (0703)
The Scoop on Dietary Fiber:
The Bran Difference
high in fiber as another wheat bran cereal. Many products have coconut oil,
palm oil, animal fat or eggs listed as ingredients. These could cancel the
cholesterol-lowering benefit of an oat product.
It used to be that bran was bran and everyone knew what it was good for.
Wheat bran was the only thing we thought of and it had a clear mission: to
keep you “regular.” But now oat bran is on the supermarket shelves with
promises to lower cholesterol. Wheat bran, despite proven benefits to the
intestinal tract, cannot claim to lower cholesterol.
General Tips for Good Fiber Nutrition
• Purchase whole grain breads and cereals rather than refined ones.
• Buy fresh produce and eat it raw and unpeeled whenever possible.
Don't drink juice for the fiber; it is not a good source.
It is the amount and type of fiber that makes oat bran work differently from
wheat bran. You will learn that fiber goes far beyond bran.
• Instead of refined flour, roll chicken in whole grain flour, wheat bran or
oat bran before baking.
Bran (high fiber)
• wheat bran
• oat bran
• corn bran
• rice bran
• Use oatmeal or oat bran in place of breadcrumbs in meatloaf or
meatballs.
Whole Grain (moderate fiber)
• whole wheat flour, whole
wheat pasta
• oatmeal, rolled oats, steel cut
oats, whole-oat flour
• cornmeal
• brown rice
• Substitute cooked dried beans for part or all of the meat in casserole
recipes. Use in soups, salads and sandwich spreads.
• Drink more fluids. Water is what helps fiber work. Without it, insoluble
fiber can block the digestive system.
• Spread fiber throughout the day. As a general rule, try two servings of
fiber-containing foods at each meal.
• Exercise regularly. All the benefits of fiber will not outweigh the
problems that come with too little physical activity.
Refined (low fiber)
• white flour (bleached/unbleached), pasta, cream of wheat
• oat flour
• cornstarch
• white rice
Focus on Dietary Fiber
Before you load your grocery cart with bran products, there are important
things you need to learn about dietary fiber in general. Dietary Fiber is:
• The part of food that resists digestion.
• Found only in plant foods such as grain products, vegetables,
legumes, fruits, nuts and seeds.
• Not a source of calories or vitamins or minerals (but these are often
found in foods that contain fiber).
Reprinted with permission from Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. May 2003
Fiber Analysis Confusion
Years ago, fiber could only be measured as “crude fiber.” The crude fiber
measurement of food could be as little as 20% of the actual fiber content.
Today scientists are still having difficulty finding a reliable way to measure
total dietary fiber. Measurements of soluble versus insoluble fiber will vary
depending on the laboratory technique used.
Be Wise to Size
Look for grams of fiber. A gram is about the
weight of 2 paper clips. Fiber pills are often
measured in milligrams (1 gram = 1000
milligrams). Using milligrams for daily fiber is like
counting out your paycheck in pennies. A pill
containing 275 milligrams of fiber has .275
grams. It would take 100 pills to get the amount
of fiber recommended in one day.
Bakery-size bran muffins, at about 5 grams of
fiber, seem to be great fiber food. They average
350 calories each – as much or more than any
desserts. It's not that they are bad foods, it is
just that they are BIG. Other foods would also be “rich” in fiber if large-size
servings were used.
Too Much Of A Good Thing
Adding too much fiber too quickly (especially wheat bran) can cause
intestinal gas and other digestive discomforts. These side effects are not
serious and usually go away after bacterial levels in the intestinal tract
adjust, but why go through it to begin with?
Another concern is that too much fiber may bind important minerals.
Fortunately, most high fiber foods are good sources of minerals and the
fiber levels being recommended do not cause problems.
What's In A Name?
Some products with oat bran in the name (muffins, crackers, breads, and
cereals) contain only small amounts of oat bran.
Remember that ingredient labels list those ingredients found in greatest
amounts by weight down to those found in least amounts. For example, if
sugar is listed before wheat bran, the cereal may be sweeter and not as
• Not always high in foods that appear fibrous. Lettuce and cucumbers
are low in fiber.
• Several different substances. These are gums, mucilages, pectins,
lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses.
Not All Fiber is Alike
Dietary fiber can be divided into two basic categories: insoluble and
soluble. Both are important for health. Some foods are better sources of
one form than the other. For example, soluble fiber accounts for half of the
fiber in oat bran but only a fifth of the fiber in wheat bran.
Insoluble Fiber
Insoluble fiber is a coarse, chewy material that will not dissolve in water. It is
what we think of as roughage. Insoluble fiber helps:
• Bowel Regularity -- Insoluble fiber, when taken with enough water,
swells and softens the stool. This stimulates the intestinal muscles,
thus helping to pass the stool and relieve constipation.
• Prevent Intestinal Disorders -- By speeding up the movement of food
through the intestine, insoluble fiber reduces pressure in the intestine.
This may help prevent hemorrhoids, spastic colon, and diverticulitis.
• Prevent Intestinal Cancer -- Increasing both the bulk and speed of
food moving through the intestinal tract leaves less time for harmful
substances to build. The shortened transit time of certain body toxins
may help prevent cancer of the colon. Many researchers want to see
more evidence before promising that fiber prevents cancer.
Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber dissolves in water. This kind of fiber is
made up of sticky substances like gums and gels.
Soluble fiber may help:
• Control Diabetes -- Extra fiber along with
complex carbohydrates (starches) can make the
hormone insulin work better. This allows patients
to take less diabetes medication while keeping their blood sugar
normal. Persons with diabetes often have sharp rises of blood sugar
following meals. Increased soluble fiber in meals slows down the
release of food into the intestine and keeps the blood sugar from
rising rapidly.
• Lower Blood Cholesterol -- Foods high in soluble fiber can further
lower the blood cholesterol of people who are already following a
lowfat, low cholesterol diet. Soluble fiber probably works by
increasing the passage of bile acids through the digestive tract.
Cholesterol is taken out of the blood to form more bile acids. Some
researchers think that smaller fragments of soluble fiber are absorbed
into the bloodstream. These fragments may decrease the production
of cholesterol.
Clinical studies show a lowering of blood pressure in response to increased
amounts of fiber. This may be the result of other factors such as dietary fat,
calories, or sodium.
Control Weight
You may be less likely to gain weight and find it easier to lose weight on a
high fiber diet. These foods often require more chewing and take longer to
eat. Extra time is needed for food to leave the stomach. That means more
satisfaction with fewer calories. For lifetime weight control include more
fiber in everyday food choices.
Soluble Fiber: The Hot Topic
Best-selling books have touted several daily servings
of oat bran as the answer to the high rate of
coronary disease in this country. Legitimate scientific
studies of oat bran, oatmeal and beans have shown
significant reductions in blood cholesterol.
Preliminary research indicates that corn bran, carrots
and apples can reduce cholesterol. Although brown
rice contains soluble fiber, no research to date has
documented cholesterol lowering.
How Much Will Soluble Fiber Lower Cholesterol?
There are no hard and fast rules or guarantees when it comes to lowering
blood cholesterol by eating foods high in soluble fiber. People with higher
cholesterol levels appear to have greater cholesterol lowering than people
with normal levels. For example, people with high blood cholesterol have
been able to reduce their blood cholesterol by 20% (down from 260 to 208
milligrams per deciliters) with 5 ounces (about 12/3 cups) of oat bran. That
would be like eating three large bowls of cooked oat bran each day! Other
(perhaps more practical) studies used 1 cup of oatmeal or 2 muffins (oat
bran as main ingredient) daily to lower normal cholesterol levels by 3%
(from 196 to 190 mg/dl). Though one research group has found no
difference between oatmeal and oat bran, most researchers agree that you
have to eat twice as much oatmeal to get the same cholesterol-lowering
benefits as oat bran.
Other possible sources of soluble fibers are laxatives based on psyllium
(such as Metamucil and Fiber All). Men consuming their typical diet had a
15% cholesterol lowering with the addition of three daily doses. This won't
appeal to everyone. The powder, made from the seeds of the psyllium plant,
must be mixed into a beverage to be taken. Although these laxatives have
had a long track record for safety, they may not be completely harmless.
One study indicated poor absorption of riboflavin, a B vitamin, with psyllium
use. Be sure to check with your physician or Wegmans pharmacist before
considering the use of any supplement.
Trim the Fat As Well
This does not mean that you can have all the saturated fat and cholesterol
you want as long as you eat oat bran and beans. Cutting back on fat will
further help control blood cholesterol and weight and may also help prevent
some types of cancer.
How Much Fiber?
Most Americans eat 10 to 15 grams of total dietary fiber each day. Health
organizations such as the National Cancer Institute, the American Diabetes
Association and the American Dietetic Association encourage 20 to 30
grams each day.
What does 20 to 30 Grams of Fiber Mean?
It means having every day:
• 3 to 5 servings of whole-grain breads
and cereals
• 3 servings of vegetables
• 2 to 3 servings of fruit
A serving is:
• 2 slices of bread, 1 bagel,
1 cup rice or pasta
• 1 medium piece of fruit
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup vegetables