A: There's been a lot of research on fiber and it all seems to warrant a place for it in the diet. But I think it's overrated. Let's start out with some common fiber misinformation based on bad science. "Soluble fiber dissolves during digestion and creates a gel-like substance that protects the entire digestive tract from absorbing various substances. One of the substances soluble fiber helps to protect against is cholesterol. By reducing the rate that cholesterol is absorbed, soluble fiber also is an important weapon against heart disease." The big paradigm pothole they have fallen into here is the killer-cholesterol bugaboo. One of the great science myths of the 20th century was the cholesterol-causes-heart-disease hallucination promoted by the food industry, organized medicine, and the U.S. government. If soluble fiber does "reduce the rate of cholesterol," that isn't a good thing. Cholesterol is essential in the production of hormones, enzymes, nerve tissue, and in just about everything else your body does to maintain your health. Now for the second big fiber lie: "Fiber also aids in controlling diabetes by controlling the rate of glucose absorption. This reduces drastic variations in blood sugar levels." Eating fiber is not going to control your blood sugar, since most of the "high fiber" products sold in the supermarket are loaded with starch and/or sugar. The only way to "control the rate of glucose absorption" is to eat less starch and sugar. The last piece of bad fiber advice is to eat "prunes, Brussels sprouts…brown rice, oats, and rice bran." It's OK to eat disgusting things like prunes and Brussels sprouts if you like them, but they're nutritionally insignificant. And rice and oats are simply starch, so they should be eaten only in very small amounts (if at all). I know, I know: "Rice is a staple all over the world." But it will not take the place of animal food for good health. Did you know that people are growing taller in Asia, especially Japan? The reason, in my opinion, is that they have eaten more meat and animal fat since World War II. Forget about fiber, soluble or otherwise. Eat a diet of unhomogenized dairy products and animal protein and fat, and you'll get all the fiber you need. | 
