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THE MOST POWERFUL FIBER TO HELP FIGHT DIABETES
By Greg Arnold, DC, August 18, 2004, Abstracted from "Novel Fiber Limits Sugar Absorption" in the September 2004 issue of Life Extension Magazine
When it comes to fiber, benefits have been found in the ability to regulate bowel activity and lower cholesterol. 7.1 grams of psyllium husk fiber per day has been shown to regulate bowel movement activity in elderly1 while 5.1 grams of psyllium taken twice daily produced "significant" decreases in LDL cholesterol, proving to be "an effective adjunct to diet therapy and may provide an alternative to drug therapy for some patients."2
There is another fiber supplement that has produced equally effective results but for a different condition. The fiber supplement is glucomannan and it may prove to be a very effective supplement in helping prevent Type 2 diabetes.
Glucomannan's benefit lies in the fact that it is water-soluble, meaning it absorbs water and swells in the stomach and intestines, slowing digestion and stabilizing blood sugar. One study3 found that 4-5 grams of glucomannan taken
with meals, blended into fluid or mixed with food, slowed carbohydrate absorption and decreased insulin levels in the blood by 50%.
Another study4 gave subjects at least 27 grams per day of glucomannan fiber compared to the same amount of wheat bran fiber. The glucomannan group not only reduced a marker of diabetes in the blood by 8 percent, but it reduced blood
pressure by 7 percent and reduced the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol by 14 percent (meaning that now more of the subjects' cholesterol was HDL, the "good" cholesterol), all of which are risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
So while it is important to have fiber in your diet, the type of fiber you consume may be just as important as how much of it you consume.
References:
1 Bliss DZ. Supplementation with dietary fiber improves fecal incontinence. Nursing Research 2001; 50(4): 203-13
2 Anderson, J.W., et al., Long-term cholesterol-lowering effects of psyllium as an adjunct to diet therapy in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2000; 71(6):1433-8
3 McCarty MF. Glucomannan minimizes the postprandial insulin surge: a potential adjuvant for hepatothermic therapy. Medical Hypotheses 2002; 58(6): 487-90
4 Vuksan V. Konjac-mannan (glucomannan) improves glycemia and other associated risk factors for coronary heart disease in type 2 diabetes. A randomized controlled metabolic trial. Diabetes Care 1999; 22(6): 913-9
To live is like to love--all reason is against it, and all healthy instinct for it.
Samuel Butler
Milk thistle extract is a potent antioxidant which prevents harm from free radicals and lends nutritional support to the liver. Milk thistle seed extract contains silymarin, a unique type of flavonoid-like compound considered the active ingredient of milk thistle.
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