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Have you heard of hypoglycemia? This occurs when your blood sugar drops too low. It can cause issues such as low energy, headaches and even seizures. The good news is that there are nutrients that can help support your blood glucose levels.
As we age, the need for certain nutrients increases for a number of reasons, including an increase in our prescription medications and gaps in our diet. In Part 2, Jerry Hickey, Ph. discusses the best anti-aging nutrients to focus on now.
oats
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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Recently, on one of my radio programs, a caller asked how oats lower cholesterol. Why are they heart healthy? I thought this might be a good topic to cover quickly on one of these episodes. You can tune into our new web radio show right on our website from 10AM-11AM every week day. If you have a question you’d like to have answered, call 888-831-3279.
The importance of fiber in oats
Oats are loaded with fiber. There’s the husk, which has a very high concentration of fiber. This is the outer shell of the oat seed. Right below that, the first layers that are edible are the bran. That’s also loaded with fiber. They’re loaded with different kinds of fiber, including both insoluble fiber and soluble fiber.
So, how does this lower cholesterol? Soluble fiber and insoluble fiber help absorb the cholesterol and the saturated fats that are in your foods. One way oats have value is they help lower the amount of cholesterol that can be absorbed, like a sponge. They’ll absorb some of the cholesterol that’s in the bowels.
Policosanol: Nature’s Secret Weapon in Targeting Cholesterol – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 254. Listen Now >>
They also have a second activity. You can’t absorb many fibers and those are the insoluble fibers. Your body and digestive system don’t know this. How do you break down fats to absorb them? You release bile acids and cholesterol is a major component of bile acids. When you eat fiber throughout the day, you’re releasing bile acids to break it down, yet that’s not working, so you keep on releasing bile acids. These acids have to be replaced and this is done by taking cholesterol out of the system and devoting it to making more bile acid. One way you’re blocking cholesterol is by actually inhibiting the absorption in the intestines. A second way is you’re taking cholesterol out of the bloodstream. Beta glucans help do that also.
Beta glucans are very interesting. You find beta glucans in mushrooms, where they’re more involved with stimulating the immune system. The beta glucans in oats are different. The beta glucans in oats are not immune system stimulants. They’re more involved with removing cholesterol.
How to consume oats
You need a good serving of oats. Whole oats, like steel cut oats, need to be cooked. If you’re using instant oatmeal, that’s like eating sugar. Oats should take about 20 minutes to cook.
Oat bran can be eaten raw. Oat bran is part of a healthy diet. In fact, we add it to one of our products called Sterols Plus Hx. This supplement has red yeast rice, which helps inhibit the manufacturing of cholesterol by your liver, as well as sterols, a type of fat from plants that helps block the absorption of cholesterol from your food, and oat bran, which basically takes the cholesterol out of your bloodstream. It’s the oat bran that’s high in beta glucans.
Helping The Heart Stay Healthy – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 244. Listen Now >>
Listen to the full podcast episode to learn more about why it’s so important to eat fiber.
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According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), you should be consuming anywhere between 20 to 35 grams of fiber per day. However, if you’re like most Americans following the Standard American Diet (SAD), your consumption is realistically around 10 to 15 grams per day. But what is fiber and why is it so important? Here’s what you need to know.
Fiber is the element in plants that our bodies do not digest. While other healthy foods are absorbed into our blood and digested through our bodies, fiber is not one of them. It quickly passes through your digestive tract and its main job in your body is to create bulk to aid in moving stool and harmful carcinogens throughout your digestive tract.
Flax seeds are a great source of fiber. Click here to learn more! >>
Fiber has been shown to have many health benefits including lowering cholesterol, maintaining digestive health, and helping to control blood sugar levels. According to Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, this element appears to reduce the risk of developing various conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and constipation.
High intake of dietary fiber has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease in a number of large studies. In a study published in JAMA by the Department of Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health, of over 40,000 male health professionals, researchers found that a high total dietary fiber intake was linked to a 40% lower risk of coronary heart disease.
Dietary fiber can be found in many foods, including artichokes, raspberries, avocados, pears, whole wheat pasta, brown rice and oatmeal. But the high quota of 20 to 35 grams each day can be hard to meet, especially for those following the Standard American Diet.
Struggling with Constipation? Here’s what you need to know. >>
A high fiber diet has also been shown to rebalance the gut microbiota, the ecosystem of bacteria, in the gut that help digest food and are important to overall health. Researchers randomized patients with type-2 diabetes into two groups – one who received standard patient education and dietary recommendations, the other was given large amounts of dietary fibers while ingesting a similar diet for energy and major nutrients. After 12 weeks, patients on the high-fiber diet had a greater reduction in a three-month average of blood glucose levels. Their fasting blood glucose levels also dropped faster and they lost more weight. This study was published in the journal Science by researches from China.
One way to make sure that you’re reaching the doctor recommended daily dose is by turning to supplementation.When searching for a high-quality supplement, turn to one that contains soluble fiber, which dissolves with water and creates a gel-like substance that helps to lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels.
Clinical studies show that Fibersol-2™ helps to relieve occasional constipation and select studies show that it improves stool consistency. When taken with a meal, Fibersol-2™ , digestion resistant maltodextrin, may help attenuate the rise in serum glucose following the meal. Fibersol-2™ has the potential to reduce peak postprandial blood glucose and insulin levels that are within the normal range in healthy individuals. This may even help support the level of triglycerides that are already within a healthy range. Fibersol-2™ may support satiety, helping you feel fuller for a longer time after the meal.†