Soluble Fiber--From Hype to Health

Take a walk through the grocery aisle, and you will quickly find many products claiming to be heart healthy.

For many of these products, the heart healthy claims flows from two essential nutritional characteristics. They are low in saturated and trans fats, and they deliver levels of soluble fiber sufficient to meet certain FDA-allowed heart health claims. To make these claims, the FDA requires that the products deliver in each serving at least .75 grams of soluble fiber from oats or barley, or 1.7 grams of soluble fiber from psyllium.

For those of us seeking measurable improvements in our cholesterol levels, success requires consuming substantially greater levels of soluble fiber. The National Cholesterol Education Program of the National Institutes of Health recommends 10-25 grams per day. Depending on your chemistry, consumption at these levels can lower LDL cholesterol by up to 8-10%. Some studies have suggested that results could be more significant.

How much oatmeal is required to reach 10 grams of soluble fiber? Roughly 5 servings, or about 2 lbs of prepared oatmeal. For 25 grams, you would need to consume about 5 lbs of prepared oatmeal, or about 2000 calories per day from oatmeal. Nay!

While oats certainly are a good starting point, I begin the day with a heaping tablespoon (=3 teaspoons) of whole psyllium husk. Psyllium seed husks are nature's most concentrated source of cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. Where oats are only about 5% soluble fiber, psyllium husks are about 60%. With a tablespoon of psyllium husk, I start the day with 9 grams of soluble fiber (note: start with a teaspoon and work your way up).

5-6 servings of fruits and vegetables through the course of the day gets me another 5-6 grams.

From here, I shoot for the upper levels of the cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber targets. Success typically requires some culinary creativity and an understanding of the sources of soluble fiber.



Here is one recipe that you may find a useful addition to your weekly food choices:

Barley Pilaf
4 Servings of About 1 Cup Each

Barley never came to my mind as something I would crave. Yet, I discovered that barley stands side-by-side with oats as an FDA-endorsed food for promoting heart health by lowering cholesterol. I have since set out to explore how barley could be enjoyed in something other than a malted beverage.

As it turns out, a barley pilaf can be a delicious alternative to the rice, potato or pasta “starch” in protein/starch/vegetable triad my mom insists constitutes a meal.

A pilaf can be cooked to complement any number of dishes. Adapt by incorporating any number of spices. Start with the basic pilaf and create from there.

So, you ask "why don't more people eat barley." Part of the answer lies with the fact that cooking barley can be a bit tricky. If you're not careful, you might find your pilaf with hot cereal qualities---perhaps great for a cold morning but not the best for a dinner. But if you take a bit of care, you barley pilaf can be a great nutritious alternative to high glycemic, low fiber carbs.

Ingredients
1 Cup Rinsed Pearled Barley
2 Cups Water
1 Small Onion-Finely Chopped
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (preferably fortified with plant sterols)*
½ Teaspoon Turmeric
Salt & Pepper to Taste

*to double-up on the cholesterol lowering abilities of this dish, I formulated an extra-virgin olive oil with added plant sterols. This olive oil is available through the Kardea Nutrition website
http://www.kardeanutrition.com/products/food.aspx . If you want to reduce total fat, cut recipe to 1 tablespoon of oil.


Direction
Heat a sauce pan over medium heat. When pan is hot, add olive oil and chopped onion. Saute for a few minutes. Add rinsed pearl barley and saute for 5 or so minutes, stirring regularly and making sure that barley does not burn or stick to bottom of pan. Add turmeric and then water to the hot barley and stir. Cover, lower heat and cook until tender but still a bit chewy (30 minutes). Remove cover and on very low heat, let steam escape. Periodically fluff to prevent sticking to bottom of pan. Serve when barley appears about the consistency of steamed rice. This all may sound a bit cumbersome, but it works. The turmeric also give the barley a beautiful yellow color, accenting the visual appeal of an entire meal.


Nutritional Facts
(about a cup of cooked barley pilaf)
Calorie: 240 Calories from Fat: 70
Total Fat: 8g from olive oil; monounsaturated: 5.7g; polyunsaturate fat: 1.15g; saturated fat: 1.15g (4.3% of total calories); Trans fat: 0.0g.
Cholesterol: 0.0
Total Carbohydrates: 40g; Total Fiber: 8g; Soluble Fiber: 2g.
Protein: 5g.
Plant Sterol: .25g

Stepping-Up
You can try adding any number of spices. Try curry or cumin when serving lean meats or roasted root vegetables. Try ginger and currents when serving fish. Serve with a kidney bean chili or black bean salad (recipe in next blog) to create a meal that delivers 3-4g of soluble fiber.

Do You Have A Great Barley Recipe? Can you improve this recipe? Post your thoughts and recipes to this blog to share with the Kardea community.