Dietary Fibers and Carbohydrates

[Packer56]

I have been trying to really watch my carb intake, so when shopping I become the Carb nazi! hah. I was told that when reading the nutrition on the products, if say the item had 34g of carb's and 8g of dietary fiber that I can reduce the net carbs by 8 and it actually would be 26g of carbs. Would anyone be able to enlighten me as to if this is an accurate statement? Thanks in advance for your time!

Kyle

 

[Hank Vangut]

yes, this is common.
diabetics often calculate net carbs by subtracting the fiber grams from total carbs.
this will give you the amount of carbs that will have a metabolic effect, since fiber is not digestible.

 

[EasyEJL]

yeah, basically fiber is incapable of causing any glycemic load and has no glycemic index, so it has no effect on insulin.

there are 2 types of fiber as well tho, just keep them in mind

Insoluble Fiber

Functions of Insoluble Fiber

move bulk through the intestines
control and balance the pH (acidity) in the intestines


Benefits of Insoluble Fiber


promote regular bowel movement and prevent constipation
remove toxic waste through colon in less time
help prevent colon cancer by keeping an optimal pH in intestines to prevent microbes from producing cancerous substances


Food Sources of Insoluble Fiber

Vegetables such as green beans and dark green leafy vegetables
Fruit skins and root vegetable skins
Whole-wheat products
Wheat oat
Corn bran
Seeds & Nuts






Soluble Fiber

Functions of Soluble Fiber

bind with fatty acids
prolong stomach emptying time so that sugar is released and absorbed more slowly


Benefits of Soluble Fiber

lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) therefore reducing the risk of heart disease
regulate blood sugar for people with diabetes


Food Sources of Soluble Fiber

Oat/Oat bran
Dried beans and peas
Nuts
Barley
Flax seed
Fruits such as oranges and apples
Vegetables such as carrots
Psyllium husk