Let’s talk about fiber!

[John Brunner]

Psyllium husk is the same fiber that they put in Metamucil. Wile it does add bulk to your stools, it is not one of the prebiotic fibers that our gut bacteria can use . It does help to soak up toxins and get them out of the body, and also unwanted dietary cholesterol, but it is important to get the prebiotic type of fiber as well, like we get from foods like whole grains and legumes, fruits and veggies.

I just read that the pectin in prune juice is a prebiotic (pectin.) I thought for sure the container said so, but I can't find it. Had to go to the internet.

 

[Don Alaska]

Isn't this the one that's basically made of sticks & twigs (cellulose)? It's tough to figure out if stuff like this is OK for daily use because admonitions to not take it for more than 7 days are geared towards "You may have a chronic condition that requires medical attention" and not necessarily "It may do harm with long-term use."

I dunno but my wife takes it daily as part of her smoothie and has not reported any issues. Yep, methylcellulose is made from sawdust, but then so is K-Y Jelly and it doesn't plug anything up.

 

[John Brunner]

Gut bacteria can use Psyllium though, and it causes flatulence in many folks until their biome adjusts. The only fiber supplement I have found that doesn't ferment is methylcellulose (Citracel). You can buy methylcellulose in bulk an Amazon and probably some other places.

https://trudtox.com/can-psyllium-result-in-bloating-and-gas.html

I've been looking locally, and none of the drugstores carry methylcellulose in anything but caplet form. I find that to be odd, since Citracel is available as a powder. So it's off to Amazon I go.

 

[Yvonne Smith]

I would rather get my fiber in a form that my body can use as a prebiotic, because that is how the beneficial bacteria can make the things our body needs them to make.
Plain fiber like cellulose can help bulk up the stool amounts but the bacteria don’t use it, so it is just wasted and passed on through the body, so why even eat it if we are getting enough of the good fibers that will do both ?

I actually found a great way to get more fiber today !
I blended up some oat milk in the blender, added spices and ice and a little sweetener, and then blended the whole thing into a milkshake that tastes like eggnog or maybe pumpkin spice.
If I had added a dab of sweet potato or even carrot, then it would have been more like that, so next time i will also add carrot to the original blend.

There is about 5 grams of soluble fiber that the gut-bugs will digest as prebiotics for our benefit in just 1/3 cup of the oatmeal. I had some of the Bob’s Red Mill 5-Grain handy, so that is what I used.
I just ordered some of the Red Mill protein oatmeal, which has a little more protein, and has even more fiber in it.