Why do we buy bottled fiber?

I have been wondering about this for years. 

I understand the reason perfectly well. We get clogged up, things stop flowing the way they should, and we head straight to the store for a powder, capsule or gummy that promises to fix the problem, Draino style.

There is no shortage of options. A quick look at major retailers shows hundreds of fiber supplements, and likely thousands once you count all the different brands, formulas, flavors and sizes sold across the country.

Different bottles. Different flavors. Different promises.

But when you start turning those containers around and reading the ingredient labels, many of the most common products come back to just a few basic types of fiber:

 

Psyllium husk

This one is probably the easiest to understand. Psyllium husk is the outer coating of a plant seed. It is collected, cleaned and usually ground into a powder.

When you mix it with water, it swells and forms a thick gel. That gel holds water and adds bulk in the digestive tract.

In other words, this one starts out as an actual part of a plant.

Wheat dextrin

This one takes a few more steps. Wheat dextrin starts with wheat starch.

That starch is processed using heat, acid or enzymes, which change the structure of the starch and turn it into a soluble carbohydrate that our digestive system cannot completely break down. That is what allows it to function as fiber.

So although the original material comes from wheat, the powder in the container is not simply ground up wheat. It has been processed into something different.

Methylcellulose

This begins with cellulose, the structural material found in plant cell walls 

The cellulose is then chemically modified so that it behaves differently and can be used as a soluble bulk forming fiber. But the ingredient in the bottle is no longer simply that plant material in its original form.

And there are plenty of other fibers on the market, but I think I made my point for now.

Which brings me back to the question I have been asking for years.

If the problem is that we are not getting enough fiber, why do we immediately look for relief in a bottle?

Why not first look at what caused the problem in the first place?

In many cases, that may simply be that we are not eating enough fiber to begin with.

So where is fiber supposed to come from?

Fiber is naturally found in fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Oats, peas, berries, sweet potatoes, broccoli, almonds, chia seeds and whole grains all bring fiber to the table without needing to be turned into a flavored powder first.

And here is where things get a little backwards.

We started with foods that naturally contained fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Then we refined many of those foods, stripping away a good portion of the fiber along with some of those vitamins and minerals.

We ate more of the refined version, less of the whole version, and eventually created entire aisles of products to sell the missing fiber, vitamins and minerals back to us.

Mostly in the form of something that has been processed, formulated and packaged for us in a plastic container.

Does that not sound a little backwards?

That does not mean supplements have no place. They can be useful, convenient and sometimes necessary.

But it does make you wonder:

Would it make more sense to look at what we actually eat before we look at the pharmacy shelf?

Before reaching for another bottle

If things have already come to a standstill, there are a few simple remedies worth trying first.

Prune juice

This old standby works for a reason. Prune juice contains sorbitol, which helps pull water into the intestines and can make things easier to pass.

I used prune juice often for my son when he was little, and it was one of those simple remedies I always kept in the back of my mind.

Senna

Senna is a plant based stimulant laxative that works by encouraging the intestines to contract and get things moving.

For me, senna tea has always been my go to. I like that it comes from a plant, is sold in a simple tea form, and is usually inexpensive, which is honestly how remedies like this should be.

Because people react differently to it, I would try it cautiously the first time and make sure you are somewhere comfortable until you know how your body responds.

Magnesium

Certain forms of magnesium pull water into the intestines and can help get things moving as well. Again, useful for some people, but not something to overdo.

So next time you stand in the fiber aisle at the pharmacy, supermarket or health food store, remember this:

Sometimes the smartest way to unclog the pipes is to stop asking what to pour down them and start asking what keeps clogging them in the first place.