Soluble Fiber As Related To Digestion And Immunity
While scientifically proven benefits of an increased intake in soluble fiber addresses the prevention, or need for treatment of diseases and conditions such as: obesity, weight loss, heart, cancer, glucose metabolism, diabetes, endurance, appendicitis, varicose veins, and menstruation problems.
Soluble fiber also benefits multiple systems of the body. The purpose here is to explain how soluble fiber benefits the gastrointestinal track.
70 Million Americans have digestive disorders of one kind or another; and I don’t know how many have compromised immune systems that stem from a lack of a healthy digestive tract.
It is critical to understand that invasion and multiplication of infection-causing microorganisms occurs most often in body tissues that lack resistance, which increases susceptibility to disease. Fiber’s role in the gastrointestinal system is to help to keep a balance between the symbiotic relationship of Pro-biotics and harmful bacteria and yeasts found in the body.
Pro-biotics are living strains of “good” bacteria, which help our digestive system work efficiently, e.g. bifidus and acidopilus. The symbiotic environment of the gastrointestinal system is dramatically changed by what we consume – processed foods, pollution and antibiotics. The population of “good” bacteria that occur naturally throughout the system is reduced to such levels that it makes our bodies’ more susceptible to invasion and disease. While the “good” bacteria are being killed by antibodies, the “bad” bacteria are thriving and multiplying.
Pro-biotics are bacterium that are nourished by soluble fiber called Pre-biotics.
Pre-biotics are a type of bacteria that feed the pro-biotics. Pre-biotics include fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), oligosaccharides, inulins, and other soluble fibers.
Prevention and treatment of digestive dysfunction due to hostile environments can be effected by prebiotics i.e. carbohydrates undigestible by the upper GI tract but favorable to selective stimulation of the growth and metabolizing activity of nonpathogenic commensal microflora. There are empiric evidence of the prebiotics positive action on GI cells and tissues, large intestine micro-ecology, mineral and lipid metabolism, and the immune status of humans and animals. Therefore, there is good reason to seek to develop brand new foods that would contain prebiotics, and recommendations on their use in common and extraordinary conditions.
(Full article in Russian PMID: 15909839 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE])
Therefore, increasing your fiber intake means that you may be strengthening your body’s immune system.
Diseases and conditions that affect the gastrointestinal track that soluble fiber has shown to address include…
promoting a health digestive tract and aiding digestion
promoting gastrointestinal tolerance
addressing candida
addressing diverticular disease
addressing hiatus hernia
addressing ulcers
addressing gallstones
addressing hemorrhoids
addressing irritable bowel and/or bowel irregularity like diarrhea
addressing gaseous distention and
addressing abdominal pain
It is also critical to understand that invasion and multiplication of infection-causing "unfriendly" bacteria, occurs most often in body tissues made susceptible to disease and lacking adequate resistance to the invasion.
Fiber's role in the gastrointestinal system is to help to keep a balance between the symbiotic relationships between pro-biotics and pre-biotics.
Pro-biotics are living strains of "good" bacteria, which help our digestive system work efficiently, e.g. bifidus and acidopilus. The symbiotic environment of the gastrointestinal system is dramatically changed by what we consume: processed foods, pollution and antibiotics. The population of ìgoodî bacteria that occur naturally throughout the system is reduced to such levels that it makes our bodies' more susceptible to invasion and disease.
Pro-biotics are bacterium that are nourished by fibers called Pre-biotics. Pre-biotics are a type of bacteria that pro-biotics feed on.
Reference Articles:
· Pro-Biotics Beat Infant Infection: Pre-Biotics Feed Pro-Biotics
· Pre-Biotic Fiber Feeding Friendly Flora
· Fiber For Your Heartburn And Digestive Tract
· Eliminate Antacids By Eating More Fiber
· Support For Pre-Biotics Colon Health
· Inulin Oligofructose Dietary Fibers
· Digestive Health For Horses
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