Every few months, there's another "new hot thing" we're supposed to get excited about (and then buy). Perhaps it's a rare medicinal plant discovered in some remote corner of the Amazonian jungle. Maybe it's a high-tech nutraceutical developed by a Nobel Prize-winning biochemist. But it's always something, and it's always supposed to make us feel better, live longer, and be more beautiful.
Of course it's easy to get excited. But before we jump on the newest marketing hype bandwagon, let's not forget the tried-and-true, proven effective remedies. Take fiber, for example. Fiber will make you feel better. Fiber will help you live longer. Fiber will make you more beautiful.
Beautiful? Yes! In fact fiber has some very impressive research behind it as a weight loss supplement. It can also lower cholesterol, blood sugar, and C-Reactive Protein levels, three of our most dangerous risk factors for chronic disease (thus the bit about living longer). And feeling better? Well, if you're not regular...
So what is fiber, anyways? Simply put, fibers are starches that we can't digest: they go in one end, and come out the other. There are two basic types of fiber. Soluble fiber dissolve in water and forms a viscous gel (think of the apple pectin used to thicken jams and jellies). Insoluble fiber does not dissolve (think of bran, carrot peels, etc).
Soluble fibers are better at lowering cholesterol and blood sugar, and taken before meals, are the ones that really shine in the weight loss arena (in particular, I'd look for one called Glucomannan, or Konjac fiber). Insoluble fibers on the other hand, are more about keeping things moving through the gut.
Of course there's plenty of fiber in vegetables, whole grains and other foods. If you choose to look to supplements for your fiber, make sure that you take them with plenty of water.
