Best food groups: Vegetables, whole grains, fruits
Also consider: Sorghum, teff, guar gum, oats, beans, psyllium, flaxseeds, prunes, dried peaches
What is soluble fiber and why is it so important? Soluble fiber consists of two main subcategories: pectin and gums (not the chewing kind!). When soluble fiber enters the intestinal tract, it attracts water, forming a gel-like material that lubricates food and slows its passage through the GI tract. This gel substance helps slow down and stabilize the absorption of glucose in the bloodstream, which benefits insulin sensitivity and helps manage or reduce the risk for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Soluble fiber also blocks some of the harmful cholesterol's being taken up into the bloodstream that can contribute to inflammatory heart disease.
How much is enough? According to the Institute of Medicine, for every 1,000 calories consumed, the optimal soluble fiber intake for women under the age of fifty should be 5 to 7.5 grams, and for men under the age of fifty, 7.5 to 11.5 grams. Men and women over age fifty should consume 6 to 9 and 4.3 to 6.3 grams, respectively, per 1,000 calories daily.
Although soluble fiber can help manage healthy cholesterol levels, in theory, too much fiber could cause cholesterol to drop to unsafe levels by binding bile acids, whose job is to help with cholesterol absorption. Considering the average American consumes less than 10 to 15 g of dietary fiber each day, it is probably not a concern for most.
Did you know? When attempting to increase fiber in your diet, always add it gradually over a period of time and drink plenty of water to make it effective. Replacing refined grains with whole grains and increasing fruit and vegetable servings are two of the easiest ways to increase fiber in your diet.
Supplements: Soluble fiber supplements are sold mainly in the form of psyllium husks, the outer covering of the blond psyllium seed. This is commonly the active ingredient in bulk-forming laxatives, such as Metamucil. Psyllium husks are unique in that they contain both soluble and insoluble properties that can help control blood glucose and lower cholesterol, while providing bowel regularity. In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of the health claim, "Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 7 grams of soluble fiber per day from psyllium may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol." Psyllium husks are sold in powder and pill form.
1. Soybeans
This little bean that could delivers both an amazing amount of insoluble fiber plus the highest source of soluble fiber all at the same time! Regular soybeans have, on average, 5 to 6 g of soluble fiber per cup, and roasting them removes the water content and almost doubles the fiber content. Soy protein alone may not be effective in helping to fight heart disease. Whole soy foods, especially fermented soy foods such as miso and tempeh, contain probiotics that have been found to be effective for lowering cholesterol.
2. Lima Beans
Besides soluble fiber, lima beans are an excellent source of numerous vitamins and minerals . Lima beans are a low-glycemic food and have lipid- and blood glucose–lowering properties.
3. Artichokes
Artichokes are an excellent source of fiber and folate, and a good source of copper, magnesium, manganese, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamins C and K. An animal study showed that artichoke leaves protect against liver cancer and heart disease.
4. Acorn Squash
The two main squash varieties are winter and summer. Winter squash varieties include acorn, butternut, and spaghetti squash. Acorn squash has the highest fiber content, weighing in at 9 g per cup (cooked), for only 115 calories! Squash is an excellent source of iron, magnesium, manganese, thiamine, and vitamins A, B6, and C; and good source of niacin, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, and potassium. According to researcher Dr. Barbara Rolls, foods that have high water weight and are high in fiber, such as squash, may aid in weight management. High-carotenoid-content foods such as squash also have been found to reduce the incidence of certain types of cancer.
Officially, squash is a fruit, not a vegetable. Many parts of the plant are edible, including the seeds, leaves, tendrils, shoots, and flowers.
5. Sapodillas
The sapodilla is a tropical fruit believed to have originated from the Yu-cat án and other parts of southern Mexico. Sapodillas are rich in tannins (proanthocyanadins). Besides containing soluble fiber, sapodillas are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, and a good source of such minerals as copper, iron, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, and potassium. Because of their high tannin content, sapodillas make an effective antidiarrheal food.
6. Kidney Beans
Kidney beans are an excellent source of soluble fiber as well as a slew of other nutrients . A randomized study of sixty overweight men and women found that those who received an extract of kidney beans had significant decreases in body fat yet maintained lean body weight, compared with those who didn't imbibe the extract.
7. Figs
Dried figs are an excellent source of magnesium and manganese, heart-healthy polyphenols, and soluble fiber, and a good source of calcium, iron, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, thiamine, and vitamin B6. The polyphenols found in figs were also found in an animal study to have immune boosting and antioxidant properties.
While most of the world's figs are grown in Turkey and Greece, the United States gets 100 percent of its fresh figs and 98 percent of its dried figs from California.
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24
CRC Handbook of Dietary Fiber in Human Nutrition, 3rd Edition