Soluble vs Insoluble Fiber - Why MicrobeFiber Works So Well

By Alex White, MD

Image courtesy of wikimedia.org

While most people know they need fiber in their diet, what they don’t know is that all fiber is not created equal.  More to the point, there are actually two different kinds of fiber: soluble and insoluble.  While this might sound like splitting hairs, having a better understanding of fiber can make a big difference to your wellbeing.

The Goo in You

Soluble fiber is hydrophilic, which means that it attracts fluid in your body, which causes it to form a goo that slows digestion.  This gives your intestinal tract the time it needs to absorb essential vitamins and minerals.  Foods loaded with soluble fiber include asparagus, barley, beans, Brussels sprouts, carrots, citrus fruit, flaxseeds, lentils, nuts, oats and sweet potatoes. 

What’s Cooking with MicrobeFiber?

By Carl Weiss

Image courtesy of MicrobeFiber.com

Having used MicrobeFiber for the past three months, I was asked by Doctor White to give my impression of the product.  Since I am also a chef, I thought I would go him one better by also describing the way I use MicrobeFiber in preparing meals.

Producing an online cooking show means preparing dozens of new recipes for my audience.  It also requires me to please the crowd.  Unfortunately, this doesn’t always sit well with my tummy, as I found out the hard way midway through 2016.  That’s when I first came to find out about MicrobeFiber. I also found out that there’s a world of difference between food that tastes good and dishes that give your body problems.

You Are What You Wheat

Why Gluten Can Gum Up Your Guts

By Dr. Alex White, MD

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Anyone who is the least little bit gluten intolerant or has celiac disease knows the symptoms – suddenly their belly balloons to twice its normal size while inside, a sound like a bear with a toothache makes its presence known.  Aside from discomfort gluten intolerance can exert, a more sinister influence can take place in your body, by sapping your energy to the point where it takes everything you have to get out of bed, or leaving you looking like a zombie at work.  The after effects of gluten intolerance can include constipation, diarrhea and depression along with a host of other symptoms that can persist for days or weeks.  The solution for most people with this condition is to avoid anything that contains wheat.  But this in itself can be a tall order, since so many things contain gluten.

Breathe Easy - Fiber is Key in Easing Asthma

By Alex White, MD

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Asthma sufferers are all too familiar with the onset of the debilitating condition.  Characterized by a sudden shortness of breath, wheezing, and a coughing spell that just won’t quit, asthma is a serious condition that affects more than 32 million people in the US.  More importantly, asthma causes almost a half million trips to the ER each year, as well as 5,000 deaths.  More frightening still is the fact that since 1980, the prevalence of the condition in children has risen by a staggering 25%.  While the medical profession dispenses rescue inhalers like candy, what medical researchers should really be doing is identifying and rectifying the underlying causes of asthma.

In my recent blog, “Nothing to Sneeze About,” I wrote about the rise in allergies in the developed world.  While there are many factors involved in allergic reactions, one of the most telling is the connection between a low-fiber diet and allergies.  I also pointed out the fact that the reason our forebears had a much lower incidence of allergies had a lot to do with what they ate.  In today’s blog, I would like to explore the evidence that points to diet as being one of the keys to that other pulmonary problem: Asthma.

The Big”C” - Can Fiber Beat Back Cancer?

By Alex white, MD

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We all know that fiber plays a very important role in our diets, but what most people don't realize is that getting enough fiber in their diet is essential to more than their digestive system. Many nutritionists, doctors and medical specialists claim that high-fiber diets can do everything from helping people lose weight, to regulating blood sugar levels.   There is even evidence that a high-fiber diet can help reduce the incidence and severity of allergies and asthma.  But what about other conditions and ailments?  Can fiber help fight cancer?

Although there is no conclusive evidence that fiber can cure cancer, there is evidence that fiber can assist in maintaining a healthy body that is better able to ward off the “Big C”. For more than 60 years, clinicians have realized that people who ingested a lot of fiber had a lower incidence of cancer. 

Nothing to Sneeze About - Fiber Fights Allergies

By Alex White, MD

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You know the symptoms, wheezing, runny nose and itchy eyes that herald the onset of an attack.  The causes can be everything from pollen and dust to pet dander.  Regardless, all you know when an allergy rears its ugly head is that you can’t reach for the antihistamines fast enough.

Or, you might be one of countless individuals who are afflicted with potentially deadly food allergies, where contact with nuts, dairy products, soy, or shellfish could put you into anaphylactic shock.  While no pill can cure a food allergy, many people who have them carry epinephrine pens that can be used to counteract the worst of the symptoms in a crisis. 

Have a Heart - How a High Fiber Diet Improves Cardiovascular Health

By Alex White, MD

Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

When most people think about fiber, they associate it with keeping their digestive tract moving along.  Aside from keeping you regular, diets high in fiber can also help your body do so much more.  Most doctors recommend foods high in dietary fiber as a way of improving cardiovascular health.  It is now known that high fiber diets can help reduce risk factors linked to coronary heart disease. 

While there are drugs on the market that can be prescribed to deal with the onset of heart disease, there are several reasons why a change in your diet is a better way to go.