Fiber for a Healthy New You!  

Grandma called it "roughage" and today we may call it Fiber, but it is the simple path to regularity, gastrointestinal health and so much more. It is now medically accepted that people who consume more Fiber have fewer weight problems, along with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and most cancers. And when it comes to heart health, Fiber is a real superstar.

Unfortunately, the typical American diet is sadly lacking in Fiber. In fact, Fiber is perhaps our most glaring dietary deficiency. Our diets are based on highly processed and refined foods that offer little nutrition and even less Fiber. We love our fast-food burgers, pizza, pasta and other processed fare. As a result, most of us average just over 10 grams of Fiber a day - considerably less than the World Health Organization's recommendation of 25 to 40 grams 11,12 - and nowhere near ProCaps Laboratories' founder, Andrew Lessman's recommendation of 40 to 60 grams. In fact, of all the ways you can alter your eating habits, no single change will make more of a difference to your health than eating more fiber-rich foods. That's because it forces you to eat healthier. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are not just high in Fiber, but they are also rich in antioxidants, essential oils, phytosterols, phytonutrients and many other heart healthy nutrients.

The Many Ways Fiber Helps Your Body - Especially Your Heart

Fiber plays a number of roles in supporting cardiovascular health and protecting against heart disease. 7 Eating foods high in Fiber can help balance blood sugar, lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels. 1,3,6,8 In fact, of all the ways to reduce your risk of heart disease, the simplest and most effective is to have a high Fiber diet help you achieve the benefits above.

But how does Fiber have an impact on cholesterol levels? Actually, it is related to the mechanism of the natural Phytosterols in CHOLOX. When you consume Fiber, it forms a gel that traps both the cholesterol from your diet and the recyclable cholesterol found in our body's bile salts. Instead of being absorbed into the bloodstream, this trapped cholesterol is excreted out of the body, thereby lowering your cholesterol levels. 9,10

Better yet, research shows that when you combine a high-Fiber diet with Phytosterol supplements, you can reduce your cholesterol levels by more than 35%, which is comparable to the results you would get by taking one of the popular cholesterol-lowering Statin drugs. 4,5 But unlike Statins, Phytosterols and Fiber are 100% natural, and unequivocally safe. One convenient source is CHOLOX, which contains 400 mg of Phytosterols per capsule; two capsules per day gives you the amount recommended by the FDA. 2 CHOLOX is also available with our SOLOS supplement as CHOLOX + SOLOS. You can learn more at www.CHOLOX.com.

What Happens If You Don't Get Enough Fiber?

Beyond the effects on regularity and your digestive system, consuming insufficient amounts of Fiber can impact heart health. Foods that are dense with Fiber can have a moderating effect on carbohydrate absorption, which in turn helps balance blood sugar levels. 6 Fluctuating blood sugar can cause the body to fall into a vicious cycle of cholesterol synthesis. And, when the body produces more cholesterol than it needs, the coronary arteries suffer damage, which can lead to heart disease.

How Can You Include More Fiber In Your Diet?

By far the best way to achieve the World Health Organization's recommended daily Fiber intake of 25-40 grams is by eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains. Beans, legumes, seeds and nuts are particularly high in Fiber. But, if you're having a hard time reaching this goal, you can boost your daily intake with Fiber supplements, like our SOLOS, which provides an inexpensive and safe source of Fiber. SOLOS is all-natural, consisting of 100% pure Psyllium husk powder in the form of small, easy-to-swallow capsules, rather than gritty fiber drinks that contain unwanted calories and additives. SOLOS contains no additives of any kind and, unlike most Fiber beverages, SOLOS has no colors or flavors. If you'd like to learn more, go to The Informed Choice in Vitamins and Supplements.

About the Author

Andrew Lessman founded what was to become ProCaps Laboratories in 1979 - back in what some consider "the early days" of vitamin supplements. More than a quarter of a century later, it remains one of the few companies that actually manufactures the vitamins they distribute, and the only one in its class for uncompromising quality.