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Soluble or Non-Soluble Fibre?

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meoman

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Just returned from the doctors following a Diabetic and Diverticulitis Review. Doctor stated categorically that I should take plenty of SOLUBLE Fibre but "not" NON-SOLUBLE fibre. Doctor also aware that I'm not very tolerant of Carbs so suggested choosing a Soluble that's not too bad on the carb value. My question to yourselves is please:-
How can I find (web and so on) what foods are SOLUBLE (and there carb related value) and what are not (NON-SOLUBLE). is there a list perhaps?. Also can something that in its whole form is NON SOLUBLE but if ground becomes soluble?. Im thinking Flax seed and nuts etc.
Advise greatfully appreciated.
 
Basically soluble fibre (edit to make correct )is the type of fibre that forms a gel and ferments in the gut. It may play a big part in keeping your gut flora healthy (there is lot of research at present suggesting that the bacteria in the gut are very important to health) This type of fibre is thought to slow down transit in the gut and to lower cholesterol and glucose levels.
Insoluble fibres are what we used to call the roughage, they add bulk to the stool and are excreted mainly intact.
Most plant foods will naturally contain both types . legumes tend to be higher in soluble fibre, oatmeal is also high.
Flaxseed is relative high but it also has twice as much insoluble fibre (and personal experience suggests that unground flaxseed passes intact :oops: )
Here is a list from Havard that separates the two types out. Unfortunately as it is an American source, it uses cup measurements but it gives you an idea of the proportions.

http://huhs.harvard.edu/assets/File/Our ... _Fiber.pdf

Actually, the terms soluble and insoluble are being challenged nowadays; it's become quite complicated and you can also divide fibre into viscous and non viscous and fermentable and non fermentable!. lots of detail if you're interested here:
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/p ... als/fiber/
 
Thanks for links Phoenix.. Im thinking Flax Tea (simmered seeds to get gloop juice) may be soluble only if i drink the gloop and ditch the remaining seeds once gloop sieved.. Maybe im wrong.. I seek soluble only.. Thoughts?
 
Phoenix
Dont you mean that soluble forms a gel?.. you mention insoluble twice. Also if you put flax in water it turns the water to a sticky gel like gloop.. is that gloop soluble or insoluble?. The seed shells obviously insoluble?
 
meoman said:
Phoenix
Dont you mean that soluble forms a gel?.. you mention insoluble twice. Also if you put flax in water it turns the water to a sticky gel like gloop.. is that gloop soluble or insoluble?. The seed shells obviously insoluble?
Click to expand...

Yes you are right, sorry about that.
Logically, If you grind the seeds you will make soluble fibre more available .
I don't think (note the word think, I'm not an expert!) that you can equate the hard outside skin with insoluble fibre. I think both types form part of the structure ( eg cereal bran contains both sorts of fibre and apple skins contain pectin which is a soluble fibre ) You could see what happens if you try grinding it and mixing flax with water but then separating the types of fibre ? I think you need a chemist here!
This Mayo clinic article suggests some ways of serving ground flaxseed and says to make sure that you drink water with it and not to take it at the same time as medications.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/flaxseed/AN01258

Psyllium husk is supposed to be mainly soluble fibre;
http://www.webmd.boots.com/vitamins-and ... upplements
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyllium_seed_husks
I think that it might help you to look up details of diverticulitis diets. This one from the charity CORE suggests fruit and veg as containing more soluble fibre than cereals and grains (? not sure that's always the case, check back on the Harvard list for those with the 'best' proportions ) but also says that what works for one may not work for another. http://www.corecharity.org.uk/condition ... e#section8
 
If your doc has come out and said that you are not very tolerant of carbs, that would explain the spiky readings you were getting with things like rye bread. Those sort of things contain insoluable carbs as well as complex carbs. The insoluble parts are things like the shells of some beans or the husks. They are cellulose based and 'woody' and humans don't produce any enzymes to digest them.

Soluble fibres are very different. You get them in things like lemons, at least, in the yellow fleshy bits. I add lemon juice to that cheap zero calories, zero carb supermarket lemonade which also appears to be zero lemon. But, if you add the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon and some of the yellow flesh, you have a drink better than any so called gourmet lemonade at a fraction of the price. Furthermore, soluble fibre helps clean out the inner walls of your blood vessels. There is a list here: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/sources ... -2125.html and as you can guess, it's mostly fruit and veg, so, eat your greens :-) Oatmeal and beans are good sources, but you'll have to experiment with those, keep an eye on the quantity you eat and monitor you BG levels.

I guess what the doc is saying is eat more fruit and veg and also things proteins like fish and limit your carbs in wholegrains. Stick to some pulses. That as, you'll get a balanced diet and, to be fair, quite a tasty one. I'm eatng lots of tomatoes at the moment. Small orange varieties, sliced with mega thinly sliced red onion and a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil and a few drops of a balsamic vinegar. It satisfies any craving for a snack. Soon, I'll be into curly kale with slices of smoked sausage.
 
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