Fiber: Soluble vs Insoluble

mike

1. Is there an optimum ratio of soluble : insoluble fiber for cardiovascular health? If so, what would that ratio be?

2. What is the chance of getting Cronometer to add this feature of tracking the soluble and insoluble fibers as sub categories under the general entry of "Fiber"?

   I would think this would be an easy feature to add : beans (soluble), grains (insoluble)......

Thank you Susan

Karen_Cronometer

Hi Susan,

That's a great idea to include the breakdown of insoluble and soluble fibre in foods.

Cheers,

Susan_RD_101

@mike

Soluble fibre is a key component of the "portfolio diet" (arguably one of the most effective strategies for lowering LDL cholesterol). On this diet, 10-25 g of soluble fibre is recommended per day. This is a great resource that highlights the amount of soluble fibre in food.
http://www.lipidgeneticsclinic.ca/pdf/2015 09 22 The Portfolio Diet.pdf

Keep in mind that insoluble fibre is also important in our diet. Not only does it prevent constipation and regulate bowel movements, but it can actually lower the calorie density of our diets.

Kind regards,

cally

Hi there, I'm wondering if the breakdown of insoluble and soluble fibre in foods has been added to Cronometer as per Susan's suggestion? It would be very helpful for me too!

FerrisBueller86

Eat a variety of fiber-rich foods - fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, etc. Consuming a wide variety of these foods ensures that you'll get plenty of both soluble and insoluble fibers. You don't have to be that fixated on numbers or ratios.

cally

Thank you for your reply - unfortunately I have severe gut bacteria dysbiosis which is why I'm interested in, and think more information about what I am consuming, would be helpful. Still keen to know if it is possible in Cronometer?

FerrisBueller86

OK, cally, since you have a reason to avoid a certain type of fiber, I'd recommend looking up the nutritional information for the foods you consume. Avoid the foods with too much of the "wrong" kind of fiber unless there's enough of the "correct" kind of fiber to balance it out. Eat more of the foods with more of the "correct" kind of fiber and less of the "wrong" kind. Be sure to consume a variety of these allowed foods.

mike

The "official" recommended daily fiber intake is 30 g, without attempting to re-trace my steps and reproduce the references, the optimal recommendation is to achieve at least 50 g daily intake ( predominantly from food) for prevention of colorectal cancer, for prevention of heart diseases and for prevention of other chronic conditions. On a Whole Food Plant Base regimen I still come short of my 60 to 70 g daily intake goal, without quantitatively monitoring my intake I can frequently come short of that goal. By the way, there were several studies back then measuring the health outcome on a cohort taking 100 g daily ( yes, one hundred) and the outcome was quite impressive!

This, by the way, is the same scenario we encounter with Vit. D levels. It used to be that a family practitioner would be content with a serum blood level of 30 ng/ml of 25-(OH) vit D, whereas an endocrinologist, or an infection disease specialist would like to see a level of 50 ng/ml or possibly higher ( but <100).

FerrisBueller86

The pandemic prompted me to take supplement with Vitamin D all year long. (In the past, I had skipped it in summer.) It also prompted me to get my Vitamin D level tested. I now know how much I need to maintain my level within my target range. (It's 60 to 80 ng/mL, the upper part of the normal range.)

I tracked my food intake on February 13th and February 25th. On February 13th, I consumed 3090.6 calories and 89.9 grams of fiber. On February 25th, I consumed 2828.0 calories and 78.9 grams of fiber. On both of these days, I was consuming about 28 to 29 grams of fiber per 1000 calories.

I'm sure that my consumption of fiber will drop during the weeks and months ahead simply because the warmer weather will shrink my appetite (and calorie consumption).

Susan_RD_101

Love the discussion on fibre! I don't think Cronometer will be able to distinguish between insoluble and soluble unless food labels dos.

As a practitioner working in lifestyle medicine, I can't emphasize enough how important fibre is in all health conditions. We really are as healthy as our guts are.

Kind regards,

Inabruzzo

https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/soluble-fiber-causes-liver-cancer-insoluble-and-antibiotics-prevent-stop-it.26165/