(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Kos Diabetes Group: Fiber in a diabetic diet [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-04-07 If you have Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, fiber is your friend. Fiber doesn't raise blood sugar because it can't be digested. Also, it can blunt the impact that carbohydrates have on blood sugar because the intestines take a bit more time to digest fiber-rich foods, and that slows the release of glucose into your bloodstream. Fiber also has a number of other health benefits. Specifically, fiber can help: Control your blood sugar. Because the body is unable to absorb and break down fiber, it doesn’t cause a spike in blood sugar the way other carbohydrates can. This can help keep your blood sugar in your target range. Protect your heart. Fiber prevents your body from taking in some fat and cholesterol, lowering your triglyceride and cholesterol levels to help reduce your risk of heart disease. Maintain your digestive health. Fiber acts like a scrub brush, cleaning your digestive tract. It helps clean out bacteria and other buildup to improve gut health and help reduce your risk of colon cancer. Keep you feeling full and help with weight management. Since fiber can’t be digested, it moves slowly through the stomach, making you feel fuller for longer. It helps slow the absorption of sugars into the blood stream helping to keep glucose readings steady. M any foods high in fiber tend to be low in calories, which can help with weight loss. Everyone needs fiber, and most people don't get enough. Some experts think that people with diabetes should eat more fiber than people without diabetes to help control blood sugar. How much is enough? According to the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, people older than 18 should consume 22–35 grams of fiber each day. Currently, dietary fiber intakes among adults in the United States average about 15 grams a day. Foods with 2.5 to 4.9 grams of fiber per service are considered a good source of fiber. Foods with 5 grams or more per serving are considered a high-fiber source. There are two main types of fiber. Soluble fiber , also called viscous fiber, dissolves in water and forms a gel-like material during digestion. It is further altered by the bacteria in our intestines which slows digestion. This in turn slows the absorption of glucose and leads to lower blood sugar levels. Sources: Beans, peas, flaxseeds, apples, avocados, Brussels sprouts, oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, and some fruits and vegetables. It is also found in psyllium, a common fiber supplement. Insoluble fiber which does not dissolve in water, can help food move through your digestive system, promoting regularity and helping prevent constipation. Sources: Whole grains, nuts, beans, seeds, root vegetables (such as carrots, parsnips, and rutabaga), and fruit with edible seeds, like kiwis, grapes, raspberries, and raisins. It adds bulk to the stool and appears to help food pass more quickly through the stomach and intestines. Including high-fiber foods in your diet is a healthy way to help stabilize your blood sugar levels. Adding more fiber to your diet takes work — and time, as you read labels and gain knowledge of good fiber food sources. One way to up your fiber intake by spreading it among different foods and different meals throughout the day. Have a fiber-friendly breakfast. Try avocado toast topped with chickpeas or make a bowl of oatmeal with nuts and berries. Choose whole grains. At lunch time, look for bread that lists whole grain flour as the first ingredient for your sandwich. At dinner swap out white rice for brown rice or quinoa. Try whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta. Focus on non-starchy vegetables. Start dinners with a salad. Or, add spinach, broccoli, or a bag of frozen mixed vegetables to your meals for a fiber boost. Add beans or other legumes. Try adding legumes such as lentils and peas or different kinds of beans (pinto, kidney, lima, navy, garbanzo) to salads, soups, stews, or casseroles. Or you can puree legumes to make dips and spreads. Snack on fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Choose fruits and vegetables such as apples, pears, bananas, or baby carrots to snack on. Keep almonds, sunflower seeds, and pistachios handy for a quick fiber-friendly snack. As an added bonus, you may be able to stay full longer on the correct portion sizes than you would if you were eating more refined foods. And eating lots of soluble fiber (the kind found in oatmeal, beans, and apples, among other foods) may help reduce dangerous visceral belly fat, according to a recent study. Know fiber foods. Let’s take a look at some foods that are good sources of fiber and all the other benefits they bring. Passion fruit is a gold mine of fiber. It is native to South America and can be found in the grocery store with other tropical fruits like guavas and mangoes (more on those in a minute). Passion fruit has a thick yellow or purple skin and is filled with yellow, fleshy, edible seeds that have a sweet yet tart flavor. It’s low in calories and fat but is high in vitamin C and is one of the highest in fiber, offering 24 grams in just one cup. Another high fiber source weighing in at 9 grams of fiber per cup is the guava . Guavas can be found in a variety of colors. The skin can be red, yellow, or purple and the flesh of the fruit can range from yellow, pink, and red. They are also are also a good source of folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C. You can cut, peel, and enjoy guavas like you would an apple, and the seeds inside are edible as well. Mangos hail from Asia but are widely loved—in fact they’re one of the most popular fruits around the world. Aside from being naturally sweet, they’re also anti-inflammatory, which may reduce the risk of some diseases. One cup of mango has just 100 calories but offers almost three grams of fiber and 100% of your daily vitamin C needs. Half of an avocado has about five grams of fiber and the fruit, in general, is a good source of pantothenic acid, folate, vitamin K, and copper. So go ahead and have that avocado toast for breakfast (as long as it’s whole wheat toast). Avocados are a unique because they are high in healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats. They get their bright green color from two antioxidants, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which are good for eye health. The nearly four grams of fiber per half-cup of pomegranate comes from the juicy arils found inside the tough exterior skin. To open the fruit—and keep as many arils intact as possible—cut off the crown and then score the fruit in four to six sections along the white membrane. Place the pomegranate in a bowl of water and carefully crack it open. Gently remove the arils from the skin. The fruity arils will sink to the bottom, separating themselves from the rest of the fruit. Although not tropical, the kiwi is usually found near the other tropical fruits in the produce section. Fuzzy brown on the outside and (typically) bright green on the inside, kiwis are deliciously sweet and tart at the same time. They also pack five grams of fiber per cup of sliced fruit. In addition to fiber, kiwifruits (with or without the skin) are loaded with potassium and vitamins C and E. Rounding out the tropical fruits is the banana . Famous for their potassium content, bananas are also fiber-filled, providing three grams per medium fruit. They are the perfect snack for the physically active; they’re a good source of carbs, typically easy on the stomach, and the potassium may help prevent muscle cramps. Raspberries have become the poster child for high-fiber fruits, with eight grams in just one cup. This little berry is bursting with other phytonutrients too—flavanols, procyanidins, and ellagitannins—which may help reduce the risk of certain cancers, heart disease, hypertension, and osteoporosis. Their bright red color is thanks in part to antioxidants called anthocyanins. You don’t have to wait until summer to enjoy fresh raspberries. They are frozen at their peak, which locks in all of their healthy nutrients and makes them available year-round. Blackberries give raspberries some competition when it comes to fiber offerings. With eight grams per cup, blackberries tie with raspberries as one of the highest-fiber fruits. Fresh or frozen, they are also a good source of vitamin C and also provide vitamin K. Blueberries contain 4 grams per 1 cup of fruit. Although they contain less fiber than raspberries and blackberries, they are still an excellent source of fiber. Their beautiful blue hue is thanks in part to anthocyanins, an antioxidant that may help prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer while boosting brain function. Strawberries have three grams of fiber per cup of sliced fruit. Similar to their other berry cousins, strawberries are also a good source of vitamin C, and potassium. One medium apple contains 5 grams of fiber as well as vitamin C, copper, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin E, and vitamins B1 and B6. Pears have many varieties—with different flavors, textures, and colors. But no matter the variety, all pears are high in fiber, providing about six grams in a medium piece of fruit. Oranges are typically praised for their immunity-boosting vitamin C, but they are also a good source of fiber. A medium fruit provides three grams. Oranges and other citrus fruits are a good source of fiber and vitamin C Another member of the citrus family, grapefruit has about three grams of fiber per one-cup serving and is loaded with vitamin C. Grapefruit are typically less sweet than oranges. The Texas Red grapefruit, which is a deep red color, is one of the sweetest varieties of grapefruit available. Like oranges and grapefruit, mandarins provide about three grams of fiber per one cup serving. Like most citrus, mandarins are a good source of vitamin C and they’re packed with vitamin A as well. Tangerines, satsumas, clementines, and pixies are all different types of mandarins. Fresh apricots provide three grams of fiber per cup, sliced (and about 80 calories). Apricots are also packed with vitamins A and C and potassium. You can typically find fresh cherries in the summertime (June through August) but they’re available all year in the freezer section. Cherries have three grams of fiber per cup and are loaded with vitamin C. Research shows eating cherries may help reduce oxidative stress, improve sleep, lower blood pressure, and reduce overall muscle soreness from exercise. I know diabetics that refuse to eat fruit because of the carbs, but there are so many other benefits to including fruit in your diet that I feel those things outweigh the carbs, especially if you are mindful of portion sizes. Besides fruits, the other big contributor to fiber in most diets is beans and lentils. Beans and lentils contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. About 50 percent of the carbs in lentils come from fiber. In addition to providing fiber, beans and lentils have a starch that's resistant to digestion. This means it doesn’t get into the bloodstream quickly and affect blood sugar. There are a wide variety of beans which are all high in fiber That starch is good news for good gut bacteria. When bacteria make a meal of resistant starch, some fatty acids are formed. These beneficial fatty acids promote better use of insulin and healthier colon cells. To get more beans into your diet, try tossing them into your favorite salad, soup, or entrée. Other vegetables that pack a fiber punch include Spinach is a nutritional powerhouse rich in many nutrients including lutein and zeaxanthin, two key phytonutrients that are important for eye health. It’s also low in calories, high in fiber, folate, and iron. One cup has 3 grams of fiber. Collard greens are low in calories and very high in fiber (one cup contains 4 grams) plus folate. Artichoke hearts contain 4.8 grams of fiber in ½ cup of boiled hearts. Artichoke hearts are also packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients that fight free radicals and are linked with reducing cancer risk. They also contain a healthy does of iron and vitamin B12. Fresh spinach Six Brussel sprouts are all you need to get 3 grams of fiber. They’re also a solid source of vitamins C and K, folate, and beta-carotene (the precursor to vitamin A). What if you feel you can’t get the recommended amount of fiber from the foods you eat? Getting your fiber from whole foods rather than fiber supplements is generally better. Fiber supplements don't provide the variety of fibers, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients that foods do. However, there isn’t anything wrong with getting some of your daily fiber requirement from a supplement. There are a number of fiber supplements on the market. Some fiber supplements to consider are Benefiber® (wheat dextrin), Metamucil® (psyllium), Konsyl® (psyllium), Citrucel® (methylcellulose),) and FiberChoice® (inulin). Ask your doctor or nutritionist if adding a fiber supplement may help you better manage your glucose levels. 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