Mix Up Your Fiber Fix

Posted Monday, December 11, 2006

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To get the full range of heart benefits from fiber, think outside the bread box once in a while. Whole grains are great, but dip into fiber-rich fruits and veggies, as well as nuts and seeds. Fiber from different sources protects your heart in different ways. Click here for a delish recipe that combines three different fiber sources.

How does your heart love fiber? Let us count the ways.

It guards against obesity, calms blood pressure, helps keep cholesterol levels normal, and lowers the concentration of homocysteine, all of which can impact cardiovascular disease. And a recent study shows that where you get your fiber affects what it does for you. Here are four key sources:

1.
High-fiber cereal is linked with a lower body mass index (BMI) and healthier blood pressure and homocysteine levels.

2.
Fruit eaters enjoy a lower waist-to-hip ratio and lower blood pressure, too.

3.
People who get their fiber mostly from vegetables reap blood pressure and homocysteine benefits.

4.
Nuts, seeds, and dried fruits go hand in hand with a lower BMI, lower waist-to-hip ratio, better glucose concentrations, and lower levels of apolipoprotein (apo) B, a cholesterol marker.

The heart-protective benefits kick in at 25 grams of total fiber a day. Just make sure those grams don't all come from one place. In addition to fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds, legumes also are a great source.

Recipe Corner
Get three sources of fiber at once with this crispy-chewy-fruity Apricot-Walnut Cereal Bar recipe from Eating Well. Search for more recipes at EatingWell.com.

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