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Dietary Fiber and Low
Carb Diets |
Carbs in Food |
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Information About Carbs | Carbohydrates Guide | Low Carb Diets |
Dietary Fiber and Low Carb DietsDietary Fiber
- Types of Dietary Fiber - Best
Sources of Dietary Fiber - Fiber
Benefits - Daily Fiber Needs
- Fiber & Weight
Loss Although the Atkins Diet now accepts the importance of the type of complex carbohydrate we call dietary fiber, some low carb diets still insist that dieters restrict all carbs, including fiber. Indeed, even the Atkins diet plan recommends that low carb dieters get their fiber mainly from supplements. (Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution (2003): p.75 and p.136) Fiber Ideas for Low Carb DietersThe long list of dietary fiber sources means that it's still possible to get a certain amount of fiber from permitted low-carb foods, especially vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Insoluble fiber may usually be obtained in sufficient quantities from wheat bran, although excessive wheat bran consumption may lead to some mineral deficiencies. Soluble fiber is a bit more difficult to obtain in sufficient quantity from permitted low-carb foods, although you can obtain reasonable amounts from flax seed, seaweed, and avocados. In practice, many dieters following a low carb weight loss plan are likely to need to use fiber supplements. Fortunately, many fiber supplements are no more than processed agricultural products and have been shown to be safe and quite effective. These include vegetable gums, pectins, seeds and brans. Low Carb Diets Don't Need to Depend on Fiber SupplementsThe weight loss and nutritional benefits of low carb diets don't really depend on excluding fiber. After all, fiber can't be digested and thus cannot contribute to the glucose/insulin problem. Furthermore, foods rich in soluble fiber (the more difficult fiber to obtain from permitted low carb foods) are probably worth the trouble. After all, healthy eating habits - whether low carb or high carb - rarely come from a bottle of processed supplements. In a nutshell, the issue of fiber-availability should not be allowed to obscure the merits (or otherwise) of low carb dieting. |
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Carbs-Information.com provides general information about different types of carbohydrate, like monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, as well as nutritional value of carbohydrates, carb-content of foods, plus details of GI values of all food groups, plus advice about diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. But no information is intended as a substitute for medical advice. Copyright 2003-2021. |