Beta Glucan Fiber, Dietary Fiber, and Statins in Cardiovascular Health

Dear Doctor

Let’s face it, we are not eating enough fiber. Recent published reviews continue to highlight the connection between eating enough fiber, especially from plants, to lower cholesterol and improve heart health.

Statins are prescribed to lower cholesterol, however, there are side-effects that are not tolerable.

Two review from the USA and the UK summarize our need to increase fiber, especially the kind that lowers cholesterol, like beta glucan.

In the USA, Dr. Ghada Soliman, an associate professor of Nutrition in the Department of Environmental, Occupational and Geospatial Health Sciences, concludes her review of the literature that higher intake of fiber can in fact lower the need for statins. Some people may need statins but in much lower dosage.

Here are other fiber functions in the article by Ghada A. Soliman:

Dietary fiber has several protective effects against chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, inflammatory bowel syndrome, diverticular disease, obesity, and colorectal cancer in the age-adjusted analysis [77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84]. For example, insoluble fiber binds to and adsorbs carcinogens, mutagens, and toxins, and therefore, prevents their harmful effects to the body, by preventing the toxins absorption and targeting them for elimination [83,85,86]. Other fiber properties include delayed colonic transit time, prolonged post-meal satiety and satiation, and induction of cholecystokinin satiety hormone [87,88]. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics position on fiber intake is to increase consumption of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts and legumes, and that dietary fiber is associated with risk reduction of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and select cancer types [89].

In the UK, Dr Charlotte Elizabeth Evans, an associate professor in nutritional epidemiology and public health nutrition, speaks highly of high fiber intake and the positive association between fiber and health benefits such as cardio-vascular health (2019).

Dietary fibre and cardiovascular health: a review of current evidence and policy

Charlotte Elizabeth Louise Evans:

Dietary fibre comprises many different, mainly plant-based, compounds that are not fully digested in the human gut. Insoluble fibres include cellulose, hemi-celluloses and lignin and soluble fibres include pectins, β-glucan and hydro-colloids. In the UK, the daily recommended amount has increased to 30 g but only 13 % of men and 4 % of women meet this recommendation. Currently the mean intake for adults is 21 g for men and 17 g for women. There is a wealth of epidemiological evidence based on systematic reviews of trials and cohorts to support the higher fibre recommendation. This includes evidence of reductions in the risk for CVD (both heart disease and stroke) and lower risk of type 2 diabetes, lower blood pressure, lower LDL-cholesterol, as well as some cancers. Beneficial effects of fibre operate via a diverse range of mechanisms throughout the digestive system including the mouth, stomach and small and large intestine; some of which are still not completely understood. The updated recommendation for fibre is a long way from a typical British diet and requires several daily portions of fruit and vegetables and wholegrain foods. Improving dietary fibre intakes will require a variety of actions and policies from stakeholders; however, there is currently more of a focus on reducing sugar than increasing fibre. In order to increase the number of adults meeting the fibre recommendation, social marketing and labeling of high-fibre foods are warranted as well as reformulation and wider availability of wholegrain versions of popular foods. 

References

• Evans, C. E. L. (2019). Dietary fibre and cardiovascular health: a review of current evidence and policy. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 1-7.Article
• Soliman, G. A. (2019). Dietary Fiber, Atherosclerosis, and Cardiovascular Disease. Nutrients, 11(5), 1155. Article

Beta Glucan Synbiotic: High Potency Cardiovascular and Metabolic Support provides these highly beneficial beta glucan and other important dietary fibers from beetroot and inulin from chicory root along with key pedigreed probiotic bacteria.

To your health,

Seann

We have developed our products based on scientific research and/or the practical experience of many healthcare practitioners. There is a growing body of literature on food based nutrition and supplements and their application in support of our health. Please use our products under the advisement of your doctor.

Green Facts:

Transformation to healthy diets by 2050 will require substantial dietary shifts.  Global consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes will have to double, and consumption of foods such as red meat and sugar will have to be reduced by more than 50%. A diet rich in plant-based foods and with fewer animal source foods confers both improved health and environmental benefits.  (Walter Willett MD, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 2019) .

©2005 – 2019 BioImmersion Inc. All Rights Reserved