People who eat more dietary fiber can lower their cholesterol and heart disease risk, and statistically, they live longer. If you are like most Americans, chances are, you don't get enough. While the medical establishment recommends we consume anywhere from 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day, Americans only average about 15. In contrast, people in developing countries, who have a lower rate of heart disease and normal cholesterol frequently take in more than 100 grams a day.
The fiber in your food is considered to be the part that's indigestible; your digestive enzymes can't break down the carbohydrates known as fiber. But that doesn't mean this material, primarily the cell walls of plants, doesn't exert an important influence on digestion and your heart health.
Researchers now believe that one of the ways fiber helps fight heart disease is by improving the type of cholesterol that circulates in your blood. Cholesterol, a pliable, waxy material that the body uses to make cellular membranes and protect structures like nerves, travels around the blood contained in chemicals called lipoproteins. High density lipoproteins (HDLs) are called good cholesterol; they transport cholesterol to the liver where it is broken down. LDLs, so-called bad cholesterol, is associated with the deposit of cholesterol on artery walls. Once there, these deposits form plaque which can block blood flow and result in heart attacks and strokes. If a blood test shows your LDL to be over 160 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), you are considered to be at an increased risk of heart disease. In research presented at an American Heart Association Conference, scientists reported that fiber supplements lowered LDL while raising protective HDL. In this three month study, HDL rose by more than 20 percent while HDL dropped by almost 30 percent. Fiber also helped decrease triglycerides, blood fats that are linked to cardiovascular complications. These fell by 14 percent (AHA Conf, 5/30/05). According to William R. Davis, MD, author of Track Your Plaque (iUniverse) “In addition to LDL lowering effects, fiber smoothes out spikes in blood sugar that carbohydrates cause. This reduces triglycerides and even blocks the development of diabetes….increasing your daily fiber intake to 35 grams or greater (is) nearly as good as the cholesterol lowering drugs.”
