Your diet can help you manage your waistline, but did you know that it can also help you take care of your brain? Dr. Jonny Bowden explained why a diet rich in fiber helps to protect brain power and recommended Sunfiber. He made this and other observations during his appearance on Washington DC’s Let’s Talk Live.
“The most important thing to know is what’s good for the heart is good for the brain,” Bowden began. “Here’s an interesting thing that most people don’t think of when it comes to the brain: fiber,” he continued. “We know fiber is amazing for the digestive system. We know it’s so important for blood sugar. We now know that sugar is very damaging to the brain. So we need to be getting much more fiber in our diets.”
Most Americans look to breads and cereals for their fiber, because we’ve been told that they are good sources. “They’re not! You get maybe two grams of fiber with a slice of bread,” said Bowden. He pointed out that a well-known cereal, marketed as heart-healthy, contains 19 grams of sugar per serving. Additionally, many Americans have difficulty digesting wheat.
“I really think a fiber supplement helps. I like Sunfiber. It has no taste,” Bowden stated. “Even teenagers will drink it in a drink, in a smoothie, and it has six grams [of fiber] per serving. And it eliminates one of the main reasons that most women don’t take fiber supplements, which is gas and bloating.” Sunfiber can be taken at any time of day, with or without a meal.
Bowden included a caveat: “That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t eat high fiber foods like vegetables, nuts and, of course, beans, which are tremendous fiber heavy weights. But I think most of us need between 25 and 35 grams of fiber a day. We’re getting between four and 10. Let’s take a supplement.”