Soluble vs. Insoluble?

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Soluble vs. Insoluble?

Postby Newmommy28 » 05 Dec 2013, 11:17

Hey Guys,

Does anyone know how much soluble and insoluble fiber we should be eating per day? My doctor said I need 25-35 grams a day total. And I feel like I'm doing that, maybe even exceeding that actually, so I was wondering if I was doing too much insoluble fiber. I still have pain during bowel movements, and this morning it felt like I was passing rocks! I'm drinking TONS of water and using a fiber supplement--What the heck?? And yesterday I ate rather well--the only thing I can think of is some ground turkey that I had put into a sweet potato soup. Or maybe it was the greek yogurt I had? I'm so confused! Am I going to have to just eat mush for the rest of my life??

I have always eaten really healthy so I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I've been switching between Bob's Red Mill oats with frozen fruit/Kashi cereal and blueberries for breakfast (no caffeine), I do a cooked veggie everyday, sweet potatoes everyday, whole grain cracker or breads (if I even have any), salads, I'm avoiding nuts. I'm even avoiding meats (other than the bit of turkey from yesterday).

I hate this!!
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Re: Soluble vs. Insoluble?

Postby Scientist2516 » 05 Dec 2013, 12:37

Hi Newmommy,
25-35g is what my CR nurse said, too. She gave me a sheet that says how much fibre is in various foods, but it didn't say anything about soluble vs insoluble, so I did have problems starting out.
I didn't know the importance of balancing the two kinds until I started reading this forum.

I found this very helpful in explaining what the two kinds of fibre do:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/fiber-health- ... ber?page=1
But it doesn't say how much of each kind you should have.
Basically, insoluble fibre will bulk the stools. To some extent soluble will too, because by attracting water to the stools, it makes them bigger (but softer).

You say it feels like passing rocks, but what are the stools actually like? (sorry!). I mean, they could be quite soft already, but still give you a lot of pain while your fissure is still in early days of healing. If they are soft, you are doing it right, and it may just take a while for the fissure to heal enough that even a soft stool doesn't hurt.

If they are truly hard, you might have to try some kind of stool softener that doesn't bulk the stool. I can't really advise on that, because I only used psyllium, which does bulk, and never tried any other kind, but people here seem to swear by miralax/movicol.

I hope that helps.
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Re: Soluble vs. Insoluble?

Postby Deleted User 2950 » 05 Dec 2013, 14:59

Hi Newmommy28

Here's a couple of recommendations I found...

"Daily Fiber Requirements
Daily fiber requirements vary by age and gender. For women age 50 and under, 25 g a day is recommended, and this amount drops to 21 g in women over 50. For men age 50 and under, 38 g a day is recommended, dropping to 30 g a day when over 50. Twenty to thirty percent of the daily fiber should come from soluble fiber. Therefore, women age 50 and under should aim for 5 to 7.5 g of soluble fiber daily. In women over 50 the amount is lowered to 4.2 to 6.3 g of soluble fiber daily. Men under 50 should consume 7.6 to 11.4 g of soluble fiber daily. When men are over 50, the amount drops to 6 to 9 g of soluble fiber daily."

http://www.livestrong.com/article/370487-how-much-soluble-fiber-per-day/

*****************************

"Although there aren’t specific dietary reference intake recommendations for soluble fiber--as with total fiber--the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' therapeutic lifestyle changes, or TLC, diet for lowering cholesterol provides recommendations specifically for soluble fiber intake. The TLC diet calls for you to consume 10 to 25 grams of soluble fiber each day to reduce your LDL cholesterol. Soluble fiber is found in psyllium seeds, legumes, fruits, some vegetables, barley and oats. Nuts and seeds are also rich in soluble fiber."


http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/much-soluble-insoluble-fiber-per-day-6686.html

Newmommy

Seems that daily requirements of soluble fiber is a relatively new study, so I'm not
sure how much we can rely on these numbers. As we all say here, getting to know your body
and what foods are fissure friendly or not is vital and may be more of a trial and error
thing notwithstanding the many recommendations, tips and tricks or other helpful info we read.

GL to you...
Deleted User 2950
 

Re: Soluble vs. Insoluble?

Postby woundedspirit » 02 Feb 2014, 20:41

I have found sweet potatoes to be one of the worst things I can eat. Actually almost all starchy vegetable. I only eat a small amount of them. And I agree, it is a lot of trial and error on what works for you body.
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Re: Soluble vs. Insoluble?

Postby Ginger » 05 Feb 2014, 19:20

I would love tips on this. I also have IBS so certain fibre is brutal. I am drinking more than 3 litres of water a day and getting at least 25-35 grams of fibre and lowering my acidic food intake. But keep getting recurring AFs. So debilitating emotionally.
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Re: Soluble vs. Insoluble?

Postby woundedspirit » 06 Feb 2014, 23:37

I am so sorry to hear the AF keep returning. Yes it is emotionally and physically debilitating at times. This is the hardest thing I have ever been through. I have been suffering for 2 years but have learned a lot on this site and learned a lot through trial and error.
I found I could have too much fiber bulking up the stool and making it difficult to pass. The fiber from root vegetables seemed to be the worst and it didn't seem to matter how much water I drank with them. I eat only the smallest amount if at all.
Hemorrhoid Surgery
Scar Tissue
2 Anal Fissures
Failure of All Topical Treatments
Failed LIS
[size=85]EUA and Fissurectomy
Hoping to avoid Flap Surgery
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