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.0> 1. Is it possible to have too much fiber in your diet? If so,
.0> are there any physical symptoms you should look for?
Diarrhea and lack of energy are the two most common. Diarrhea
due to the presence of fiber in the intestinal tract and lack of
energy from a diet that's too low in calories.
.0> 2. What should the daily fiber intake be?
There is no RDA for fiber. Most doctors will recommend anywhere
from 5-15 grams per day, depending on the person's age and condition
of health.
.0> 3. What, besides fluid retention, is the long term effect of
.0> too much sodium in your diet?
In sensitive people, high blood pressure.
Note that recent studies indicate that sodium may not be the
culprit in high blood pressure. The studies are inconclusive so
far, but indicate that sodium chloride (salt) and not sodium is
responsible.
.0> 4. How much sodium is considered "safe" on a daily
.0> basis?
There is no RDA for sodium, but the average human needs at least
450 mg/day. Up to 3300 mg/day is safe for most people.
.0> 5. What is the maximum daily intake of caffeine that is "safe"?
There is no widely accepted "safe limit". The Columbia
Encyclopedia of Nutrition states "anyone consuming more than 8 cups
of coffee (one or more grams of caffeine) would do well to reduce
their intake".
-mike z
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| Caffeine is considered a "negative" substance and, like chocolate,
refined sugar, alcohol, is best avoided. Remember, caffeine is
a drug.
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| Virginia, caffeine was discussed pretty extensively on note 211.
Re: Fiber...
"Dietary fibers are nondigestible forms of complex carbohydrates.
In fiber the chains of sugars are connected by linkages that are
resistant to breakdown by the enzymes made by the digestive system.
Fiber has been called roughage, bulk, residue, and simply bran.
This natural plant product remains in the intestine after the fat,
protein, digestible carbohydrate, water, vitamin and mineral components
of the food have been digested and absorbed. Some breakdown of
dietary fibers caused by bacteria occurs in the large intestine.
All animal products, including meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs,
fish and shellfish, contain no fiber. All unprocessed plant foods
are high in dietary fiber. At the end of the nineteenth century,
modern roller mills began to produce large quantities of white flour,
rather than the traditional whole wheat flouw, by removing the bran
and the germ from wheat kernels. Because most of the fiber in wheat
is found in the bran covering, the mills were producing flour that
was deficient in fiber. A similar process converted whole brown
rice into white rice. At about the same time the diet of westerners
was changing in other ways, all of which involved a greater emphasis
on highly processed, rich, fiber-deficient foods. Our modern diet,
centered around animal foods and refined grains, often provides
less than 10 grams of dietary fiber per day. A starch centered
diet can contain 60 grams or more." So, 10 grams is too little,
and 60 is probably at the high end.
Re: salt... McDougall says "We need as little as 50 milligrams
of sodium per day from our diet. One teaspoon of salt adds more
than 2 grams of extra sodium to the diet. Westerners consume on
the average 5 grams of sodium per day."
Glenn
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