healthful effects of dietary fiber: part 2 (preventing cardiovascular disease)

Micrograph of a heart with fibrosis (yellow) andamyloidosis (brown)
Source: en.wikipedia.org

It is known that populations who consume foods that are not pure, have lower cholesterol levels in the blood plasma. In this population there are also differences in the consumption of dietary fiber, as well as the consumption of other food components such as fats, proteins and carbohydrates, are also significantly different. Nonetheless, much evidence suggests that dietary fiber plays in lowering cholesterol levels specifically in the blood. Several studies using experimental animals and humans reported some dietary fiber components role in lowering cholesterol in blood serum.

The theory most widely accepted by scientists, that some components of dietary fiber is able to bind bile salts, thus preventing re-absorption from the gut, as well as increasing its excretion in the feces. This led to increased conversion of cholesterol from the blood serum into bile salts in the liver.

Not all dietary fiber have the same effectiveness in lowering cholesterol levels. Purified cellulose and wheat bran barely have the ability to lower serum cholesterol levels. However, alfalfa and oats fiber components are very effective in lowering serum cholesterol levels. Other fibers are shown to be effective in lowering cholesterol levels is pectin and gum.

Several studies have reported that physiologically, soluble dietary fiber (SDF) is more effective in reducing plasma cholesterol, also called low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and increased levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL). SDF is also beneficial for people with diabetes mellitus with its function as a reducing glucose absorption in the intestine. Another benefit of the SDF is to make the stomach feel full faster, so it is useful to maintain a normal weight.

The IDF is not very significant as a hypocholesterolemic agent, but a very important role in the prevention of gastrointestinal dysfunction such as constipation, haemoroid, colon cancer, infection appendicitis, diverticulosis, and colitis.

healthful effects of dietary fiber: part 1 (preventing colon cancer)

African inland residents have fewer incidences of illness due to consuming a lot of dietary fiber compared with the population in developed countries. Consumption of dietary fiber in large quantities will provide the body's defense against the onset of various diseases such as colon cancer, diverticular disease, cardiovascular disease and obesity.

colon cancer. source: en.wikipedia.org

Colon cancer 
The relationship between dietary fiber with the onset of colon cancer has received great attention, especially in developed countries. Hypotheses about the relationship between dietary fiber intake by decreasing the incidence of onset of colon cancer can be tested from the following example. In the United States, consumption of meat, poultry and fish have increased rapidly, but instead the consumption of food rich in fiber such as potatoes and of whole cereals has declined drastically. Also turns out the consumption of whole cereals has declined sharply as that is consumed is the flour (which has been purified from the fiber).

Specific components of the diet may be a carcinogen, or intestinal microflora can react on food residues to the gut and turn it into a carcinogenic compound. These compounds when in contact with the cells of the colon mokusa over a period of time, will lead to the growth of cancer cells.

Many hypotheses put forward regarding the mechanism of dietary fiber in the prevention of colon cancer.

First, the possibility of dietary fiber can affect intestinal microflora such that no carcinogenic compounds formed.

Second, dietary fiber is able to bind water, thereby increasing the water content in the large intestine, which causes the concentration of carcinogenic compounds is low and no longer effective to kill cancer cells.

Third, dietary fiber can speed up the transit time of food residues in the colon, so that there is not enough time for carcinogenic compounds to make contact with the cells of the intestinal mucosa.

How to Prevent Cancer: Recommendation

Stop smoking, is one way to prevent cancer.

Bellow are recommendations to prevent cancer:

• Avoiding air pollution, water pollution and pollution of food, anywhere (at home, the neighborhood, in the office).
• Maintain cleanliness of the house and neighborhood to prevent infection.
• Improving daily food intake for all nutrients available in the body are required at all times is enough, nothing less and nothing more.
• Increase servings of vegetables and fruits to reach 400-800 grams per day to supply vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other anti-cancer bioactive components.
• Reducing consumption of Refined carbohydrate sources such as pure wheat flour, and sugar. Then substituting partially purified carbohydrates with whole wheat flour, corn, sweet potatoes, bananas, taro and other root crops.

Apparently, weapons for the war against cancer is not difficult to obtain and is a way to prosper. The provision of sufficient food for all citizens is not new. The problem is, can the economic, social and agricultural products make all kinds of foods are required, available at the top of every family dinner table and clean up our environment from chemical pollutants? When compared to the cost of treatment, which is more economical and fun?

Cancer and Food: Science

Bad smoking habit can cause lung cancer

Prevention efforts can be done by improving the food consumption in order to obtain all forty types of nutrients needed by the body in sufficient and available at all times . Improving the nutritional status of the body through food and drink , and coupled with extra antioxidants from vegetables and fruits is a strategic bulwark in the fight against cancer .

Our bodies have an immune system or immune to eradicate all kinds of microorganisms that enter our bodies , including virus . To be the prime function , the immune system requires almost all nutrients in sufficient quantities and available at any time to perform its functions . When the virus has entered the cell or cells have undergone mutation and entered the stage of initiation , then the cells will secrete compounds that are SOS signal proteins on their cell surface .

Members of immune cells called " natural killer " immune cells and cytotoxic or poisoning have special skills that perforate the cell wall has been infected with a virus or mutated . When these immune cells function optimally or not negligent , then they can detect cells that provide an SOS signal and killed him . So that was the end cells have been at the initiation stage . The sophistication of both immune cells work is of course not independent of the entire immune system , and a proper diet is the key of success working immune system.

It was also reported that psychological factors such as emotional stability and inner peace is the emotional factor is no less important .

Preventing the occurrence of cancer the other way, is by preventing the entry of compounds as carcinogenic or potentially carcinogenic to the body . This can be done by preventing contamination of food by chemicals that are not needed by the body , such as pesticide residues , heavy metals , chemical additives in excessive food , excessive pharmaceuticals , dust , exhaust fumes and compounds of industry and vehicles , smoke cigarettes , and so on . In short , preventing environmental pollution and food .

Considering the number of chemical compounds that are not needed by the body that may be entered and the difficulty to prevent their invasion , the prevention of cancer incidence can also be done by improving the detoxification system which has been called upon by the enzyme conjugation system improvements . Various types of nutrients such as amino acids , minerals and vitamins is needed so that this enzyme system may work now significantly active in securing carcinogenic compounds so as not to bind to the DNA of cells . In addition, compounds that are antioxidants , especially those that can donate electrons , would be a prime shield in this prevention mechanism . As mentioned beforehand , the foreign compounds will oxidize first and produce carcinogenic compounds that are chemically unstable or radical . The presence of antioxidants in the prevention would be very meaningful at this stage . Antioxidants and nutrients can be obtained easily through food , especially vegetables and fruits .

Cancer prevention through diet is that tricky. On the one hand, the body needs nutrients like protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. On the other hand, the growing cancer also need nutrients are almost identical, so that one of the mechanisms the body to fight is to be hungry. By the time the cancer has entered the stage of metastasis, it seems difficult to prevent. But in the early stages, when the immune system and detoxify the body is primed maintained, the possibility of mutated cells have a chance to live to be small.

Actually, not all mutated cells can automatically be cancerous. They also have to go through difficult stages to survive and thrive. Mutated cells naturally quite know themselves, rather than live useless and troublesome, they would rather die by committing suicide. This cell suicide program, also called apoptosis, regulated by a gene in the cell that causes the whole cell DNA was smashed to pieces. The apoptotic process can be made optimal has been studied through a variety of types of food that contain bioactive components.

Foodstuffs, especially vegetables, fruits, nuts and spices contain many bioactive components that can accelerate the process of apoptosis and are antioxidants that can prevent DNA damage cells.