Questions about dietary fiber

Factual Questions
1

  1. So if I want to take a dietary fiber supplement (just for general health, not constipation), it looks like I have two principal choices – psyllium husk (isabgol) or inulin. What are the relative advantages? I’ll have to say, I don’t like the idea of using the powdered stuff – I’ve tried it before and found it hard to get down. So I lean towards the capsules, and, especially, the chewable tablets.

  2. I understand that the recommended daily intake of dietary fiber is 25 to 30 grams. How much of that should be soluble and how much insoluble?

2

WEll, as you said you have issues with the powdered stuff, so it looks like caps/pills =)

Why not just increase your fruits and veggies? Add in whole grains and legumes.

Although there is a powdered fiber that they advertise as being able to be added in to your regular food…

3

There are also guar gum preparations like Benefiber. It dissolves better than the psyllium husk stuff. Also more expensive. Personally, when I’ve taken fiber on and off, I just used the cheapest generic psyllium husk Metamucil knockoff. The consistency doesn’t particularly bother me.

4

No one wants to tackle my questions?

5

I make a hot cereal with equal portions of wheat bran, ground flax seeds, shredded dried coconut, and protein powder. A half cup of the dry mixture has 45% of my daily fiber requirements (around 12 grams), and it tastes pretty good. I add 3/4 cup boiling water, and Tada! breakfast.

6

So, can anyone compare the relative merits of psyllium husk, inulin, and guar gum?

And can anyone speak to the ideal proportions of soluble and insoluble fiber?

7

Oh, and apparently Benefiber has changed the formulation of their product to use wheat dextrin instead of partially hydrolyzed guar gum:

8

In what I’ve read, I’ve seen suggestions for 75:25 insoluble to soluble.

But because of IBS, I’m forced to change that ratio considerably, and I’ve never seen anything that suggests reversing it (for example) is a problem.

The two fibers behave differently in your intestines, so it might end up as more what your specific body needs.

Here’s an article that seems to agree with everything I’ve read: