Seniors and Healthy Dietary Fiber

Why Fiber is Important and What Foods Contain It

As our body ages, we experience changes in the gastrointestinal tract, which reduce the absorption of nutrients and slows intestinal performance. As a result, malabsorption, nutrient deficiency, and constipation are relatively common health problems for seniors. A high-fiber diet helps stimulate intestinal movement and prevent constipation. There’s also evidence that dietary fiber can help to lower cholesterol levels and regulate blood glucose levels.

 

What is dietary fiber?

Dietary fiber, also known as roughage or bulk, is found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. It includes all parts of plant foods that your body can’t digest or absorb. Unlike other food components, such as fats, proteins, or carbohydrates, which your body breaks down and absorbs, fiber isn’t digested by your body. Instead, it passes relatively intact through your stomach, small intestine, colon, and out of your body.

To clarify, fiber is a substance in plants. “Dietary fiber” is the kind you eat. It’s a type of carbohydrate. You may also see it listed on a food label as soluble fiber (it dissolves in water) or insoluble fiber (it doesn't dissolve). Both types have important health benefits:

• Soluble fiber.
  This type of fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium.

• Insoluble fiber.
  This type of fiber promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk, so it can be of benefit to those who struggle with constipation or irregular stools. Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, beans and vegetables, such as cauliflower, green beans and potatoes, are good sources of insoluble fiber.

Most plant-based foods, such as oatmeal and beans, contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. However, the amount of each type varies in different plant foods. To receive the greatest health benefit, eat a wide variety of high-fiber foods.

 

Benefits of a High-Fiber Diet

A high-fiber diet has many benefits, which include:

• Normalizes bowel movements.
  Dietary fiber increases the weight and size of your stool and softens it. A bulky stool is easier to pass, decreasing your chance of constipation. If you have loose, watery stools, fiber may also help to solidify the stool because it absorbs water and adds bulk to stool.

 

• Helps maintain bowel health.
  A high-fiber diet may lower your risk of developing hemorrhoids and small pouches in your colon (diverticular disease). Some fiber is fermented in the colon. Researchers are looking at how this may play a role in preventing diseases of the colon.

 

• Lowers cholesterol levels.
  Soluble fiber found in beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol levels. Studies also have shown that fiber may have other heart-health benefits, such as reducing blood pressure and inflammation.

 

• Helps control blood sugar levels.
  In people with diabetes, fiber — particularly soluble fiber — can slow the absorption of sugar and help improve blood sugar levels. A healthy diet that includes insoluble fiber may also reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

 

• Aids in achieving healthy weight.
  High-fiber foods generally require more chewing time, which gives your body time to register when you’re no longer hungry, so you’re less likely to overeat. Also, a high-fiber diet tends to make a meal feel larger and linger longer, so you stay full for a greater amount of time. And high-fiber diets also tend to be less “energy dense,” which means they have fewer calories for the same volume of food.

 

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommends that total fiber intake for adults older than 50 should be at least 30 grams per day for men and 21 grams for women. Ask your doctor about the benefits of adding more fiber to your diet.

 

If you’re presently seeking a senior apartment, independent-living, assisted-living, or other continuing-care community for yourself or a senior loved one, don’t forget to visit alternativesforseniors.com to assist your search. Alternatives for Seniors is a print and online directory that specifically caters to the housing and personal care concerns of senior citizens and their families. You can also call our Senior Specialists at (888) WE-ASSIST (888-932-7747).

 

BLOG Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Writer: Ryan Allen