FIber and your health (II)

 

What is fibre?

Dietary fibre generally refers to parts of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes that cannot be digested by humans. It is actually the indigestible complex carbohydrate found in plant cell walls. Meat and dairy products do not contain fibre.

There are two basic types of fibre - insoluble and soluble. Most fibre-containing foods have both, but one or the other type often predominates in specific parts of a food and determines the characteristic texture of that portion of the food. For example, insoluble fibre produces the tough, chewy feel of wheat kernels, popcorn, apple skin and nuts.

Both types of fibre help your body, but in different ways, so it is best to eat a variety of high fibre foods.

SOLUBLE FIBRE swells up when it absorbs water, forming a gel-like mass in the intestines to increase water content in stool, ease bowel movement, stabilise blood sugar and thus helps with weight control by increasing satiety and reducing hunger pangs.  By attaching itself to the cholesterol-rich bile in the digestive tract, it causes the body to draw cholesterol from the bloodstream, thus lowering the blood cholesterol level.

Good sources of soluble fibre include:

· Psyllium
· Oatmeal and Oat bran
· Legumes (dried beans, peas and lentils)
· Fruits and most vegetables

INSOLUBLE FIBRE absorbs little water, forming the bulk of the stool in the lower intestine and reduces time of waste products or toxin in contact with the intestinal wall that may cause inflammation. The result is a larger, softer stool that can be eliminated more quickly and prevents constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis and thus reduces colon cancer risk.

Good sources of insoluble fibre include:

· Whole grains (wheat bran, whole grain breads)
· Fruits and vegetables with edible skins and seeds (apples, pears, strawberries and tomatoes)

How fibre affects organs 

On average, it takes 39 hours in women and 31 hours in men for food to pass through the colon and out of the body. This time varies a lot from person to person, depending on personality, state of mind, and fiber intake. Usually, the effect of fiber is to speed up this process.

-  Upon entering our mouth, fiber intake stimulates more saliva flow;

-  High fiber intake allows fermentation by bacteria into short-chain fatty acids that eventually blocks the cholesterol synthesis by liver and thus prevents heart disease;

-  It slows the digestion and absorption of sugars, which can help to control blood glucose in diabetes, reducing the burden on the pancreas. Higher release of insulin into the bloodstream results in greater probability of developing gallstones and kidney stones;


-  Fiber traps toxins and cholesterol in the colon and minimizes recirculation into the system. It also acts as food for the friendly bacteria to better protect the colon against colon cancer.


It is important to keep the bowel healthy with soft and bulky stools at all times so that the body is able to rid waste products more easily. 

Too much fibre?


Taken in the right form and quantity, we can reap all the benefits as mentioned above. However, increasing fibre consumption too rapidly can result in flatulence, cramping and intestinal distention. Undesirable side effects may be avoided through the gradual addition of fibre to the diet along with an adequate fluid intake. As fibre absorbs water, it is important to make sure you drink enough fluids. Around 6-8 glasses a day is ideal for most people.

Conclusion

Adding foods high in fibre into our daily diet offer great health benefits as they usually contain many vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients. However, most of us can manage only 10g of fiber far from the recommended daily intake of 25-30g. Hence, most of our diets comprising white flour, white rice, fruit juice and white bread are likely to be deficit in fiber.

VIVA corner

1. VIVA Green Barley promotes peristalsis or gastrointestinal movement to avoid mild constipation;


2.  VIVA Fibercleanse is a unique blend of soluble and insoluble fibers that help in promoting a healthy digestive system and bowel regularity. It contains adequate fibers from psyllium husk, psyllium seeds, beet, soy fiber, papaya, citrus and apple pectin, as well as other supportive herbs like hibiscus, peppermint, slippery elm, marshmallow, milk thistle and dandelion to assist fiber in its work. This is the ideal solution with each scoop of serving providing 4g of dietary fiber. Increased fluid intake is necessary as fiber absorbs fluid from the intestine when expanded. Recommended for people who are prone to constipation.

3. VIVA Floraguard helps to displace unwanted waste products and toxins out of the gastrointestinal system with its abundant good bacteria;


4. VIVA Cleanse Tea is a proprietary blend of buckthorn frangula, peppermint, dendelion, uva ursi, orange, red raspberry and licorice.  It gently flushes excess waste and toxins from the colon. Undigested food moves faster as it stimulates the peristalsis movement of the intestines. When human fat cells were treated with white tea extract in a lab study, the cells absorbed about 70% less fat than the untreated cells did. Those same tea compounds also triggered the breakdown of fat in existing cells. This product is great for people who suffer from severe constipation and elderly with weak intestinal muscles.

Testimony

I would like share with you about VIVA FIBER CLEANSE & VIVA CLEANSE TEA.

 My friend Rina working in a clinic and was having constipation for almost 3 months. So I recommended her VIVA Fiber Cleanse & Cleanse Tea. Just taking 2 scoops of the Fibrecleanse overnite, she was able to pass motion the following morning. After taking both for about a week, she was so amazed that VIVA Products work so well to solve her constipation problem. She was so relieved to be able to eat more and her body feels lighter, not like previously so heavy, bloated and easy tired.

Jacqueline Siew (ID 71005683) Rina (ID 71005786)