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Member Question:
Can you give us examples of insoluble and soluble fiber sources. thanks!
My Answer:
To start, nearly all plant foods contain both types of fiber (only the ratios change). For example, an apple has insoluble fiber in its peel and soluble fiber (pectin) in the flesh of the apple.
This is also why ground flax acts differently in our systems than whole flax seeds and why rehydrated chia seeds act differently than when they have been soaked. Grinding and soaking seeds release the soluble fibers trapped within the insoluble fiber so they are available to use.
Supplemental or functional fibers like psyllium husk also contain a mix of both types of fiber.
Our goal is to consumer at least 25-30 grams of total fiber each day (a combination of both types); the CARE Balanced Plate was developed to reach this goal. If you focus on balancing your plate, you will not need to count grams of fiber.
Insoluble Dietary Fibers
Purpose: Needed to keep things moving through the digestive system (speed the rate up)
Source: Found in the tougher outer cell membranes of produce. If you put insoluble fibers in water, they would not dissolve – they would remain intact just as they look the naked eye.
These include:
— Husks or shells of seeds and nuts (like chia and flax)
— Skins and peels of produce
— Bran of grainsSoluble Dietary Fibers
Purpose: I like to think of soluble fiber as the ‘anchor’ of our digestive systems.
- Soluble fiber controls the rate that things move through your digestive system (slow things from going to fast if only insoluble fiber is eaten)
- Soluble fiber sources are called ‘pre-biotics’ or food for our native strains of bacteria (this means soluble fibers are ‘fermentable’)
- Soluble fiber acts as a ‘sponge’ in our digestive systems and carries out waste products created during natural detoxification and also carries out bile produced by our livers. This is important because (in a longer process than will be described here), this forces the body to use cholesterol – lowering LDL cholesterol values in your lab results.
Source: Found within the cell membranes of plants. If you put soluble fibers in water, they would become ‘viscous’ or thick and or more like gelatin consistency.
A good goal is to have two sources, each day, from the list below on your CARE Balanced Plate.
Top food sources include:
Type of Soluble Fiber Sources Beta-glucan – Grains (oats, buckwheat, rye, barley) Pectin – Fruits (esp apples, citrus, & dried plums) – Vegetables (esp Brussels Sprouts, flesh of sweet potato, asparagus, & beets)
– Cooked dried beans and legumes (kidney, navy, pinto, split peas, etc)
Natural gums – Seeds (guar and locust bean), trees (gum acacia), seaweed (carrageenan), microbe/strains of bacteria (xanthan gum) Inulin – Chicory – Onions & Jerusalem artichokes
– Wheat
– Added to packaged foods
— Source: Tungland BC, Meyer D. Nondigestible oligo- and polysaccharides (dietary fiber): their physiology and role in human health and food. Comp Rev Food Sci Food Safety. 2002;3:90-109.
Additional Reading Recommendation:
The Difference between Flax, Chia, and Hemp: https://www.benedictinewellness.com/differences-flax-chia-hemp/
The Benefits of Flax Seed: https://www.benedictinewellness.com/benefits-flaxseed/
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