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Not all fiber is created equal — doctors share which kinds truly support longevity

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Not all fiber is created equal — doctors share which kinds truly support longevity

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Fiber is known to be a crucial part of a healthy diet, promoting fullness and gut health.

As trends like “fibermaxxing” make high-fiber eating more popular, understanding the best sources is increasingly important for individual health, according to nutritionists.

Longevity expert Peter Attia, a Stanford University physician based in Austin, Texas, spoke about how fiber aligns with a healthier lifestyle in a sneak peek of his newest “Ask Me Anything” episode of “The Peter Attia Drive” podcast.

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People who engage in a beneficial habit, such as eating a high-fiber diet, tend to do “many other healthy things,” according to the doctor.

“They might be exercising more, they’re much less likely to smoke, they’re probably getting more sleep,” he said. “You are very likely to be capturing other healthy habits when you’re trying to simply measure one thing.”

As trends like “fibermaxxing” make high-fiber eating more popular, understanding the best sources of fiber is increasingly important for individual health, according to nutritionists. (iStock)

For this reason, it can be difficult to “disentangle” fiber’s specific effects, Attia said, since people who eat more fiber also tend to consume other beneficial plant nutrients and make generally healthier lifestyle choices.

Different types of fiber

Different types of fiber are known to function differently in the body, according to Attia.

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“There are lots of things that are classified as fiber, [and] a wide range of physical properties that a particular fiber might have, but these different properties produce different effects on the body,” he said.

“Some fibers provide primarily microbiome support because they’re actually fermented by gut microbiomes. Some fibers can improve blood sugar … and others simply bulk up stool.”

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Soluble fiber dissolves in water, while insoluble fiber does not — and each type plays a different role in digestion.

Insoluble fiber includes vegetables, the skin of fruits, whole grains and bran, according to Attia. It will remain “largely intact” as it moves through the digestive system, adding stool bulk, reducing constipation and supporting regular bowel movements.

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Insoluble fibers are not fermented by gut bacteria, but they stimulate the gut lining to release water and mucus, which “dilutes toxins in the colon” and speeds up “intestinal transit,” the doctor said.

Vegetables typically contain more fiber than other options, according to the doctor. (iStock)

Most soluble, or viscous, fiber can absorb water and create a gel in the gut, which can lead to slower gastric emptying, reduce blood sugar spikes and potentially lower cholesterol levels, according to Attia.

Some examples of soluble fiber include pectin (found in fruits), beta-glucan (found in whole oats) and psyllium husk, which is a plant most often consumed as a supplement.

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Some soluble fibers belong to a subgroup called fermentable, or prebiotic, fibers. These fibers are broken down by gut bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) — compounds such as butyrate that help support gut health, regulate pH, improve metabolism and reduce inflammation, according to various studies.

“My mantra is ‘baby steps’ whenever I introduce fiber … a little at a time goes a long way.”

Fermentable fibers are found in foods like beans, pectin and inulin, as well as in prebiotic sources such as onions, garlic, asparagus and chicory root. They’re also present in certain resistant starches, including green bananas, legumes, and cooked, starchy foods like potatoes, rice and pasta.

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Resistant starches, while fermentable, are not soluble, Attia noted. They are categorized into several types:

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  • RS1: Found in whole grains, seeds and legumes
  • RS2: Found in raw potato starch, unripe bananas and maize (corn) starch (commonly used in fiber supplements)

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In most diets, a mix of fiber types is consumed. Plant-based foods — especially those with skins, along with oats, beans and legumes — tend to be the richest sources, Attia shared.

Beans don’t contain any single comitant fiber, but are high in fiber overall, said Attia.  (iStock)

Benefits of high-fiber diets

Some key benefits of a high-fiber diet include satiety and weight management, glycemic control, cardiovascular health and colorectal cancer prevention, Attia said. 

Robin DeCicco, a certified holistic nutritionist in New York, shared with Fox News Digital in a previous interview that increasing fiber intake can be “quite beneficial.”

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“Everything from gastrointestinal health to cardiovascular health, weight management, prevention of diabetes and certain cancers, to feeling fuller throughout the day and minimizing cravings for sugars and starches, are all major benefits of fiber intake,” she said.

“Not all fibers do the same things, and they don’t all do them equally well,” the doctor said. (iStock)

As health is individualized, DeCicco warned that those with pre-existing gastrointestinal conditions could experience complications by introducing too much fiber at once.

“If your system is not used to fiber, and you start to overload, you can easily become bloated, get cramps and have constipation,” she said.

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It’s “easier on the stomach” to spread it out, since fiber can bulk up in the stomach and cause a back-up, according to DeCicco.

“This is why it’s especially important to incorporate fiber slowly,” she said. “My mantra is ‘baby steps’ whenever I introduce fiber to any client. A little at a time goes a long way toward long-term health.”

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Man’s extreme energy drink habit leads to concerning medical discovery, doctors say

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Man’s extreme energy drink habit leads to concerning medical discovery, doctors say

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Eight energy drinks per day may lead to serious health consequences, recent research suggests.

A relatively healthy man in his 50s suffered a stroke from the overconsumption of unnamed energy beverages, according to a scientific paper published in the journal BMJ Case Reports by doctors at Nottingham University Hospitals in the U.K.

The unnamed man was described as “normally fit and well,” but was experiencing left-side weakness, numbness and ataxia, also known as poor coordination or unsteady walking. 

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When the man sought medical attention, it was confirmed via MRI that he had suffered an ischemic thalamic stroke, the report stated.

The patient’s blood pressure was high upon admission to the hospital, was lowered during treatment and then rose again after discharge, even though he was taking five medications.

The 50-year-old man (not pictured) admitted to drinking eight energy drinks per day. (iStock)

The man revealed that he consumed eight cans of energy drink per day, each containing 160 mg of caffeine. His caffeine consumption had not been recorded upon admission to the hospital.

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Once the man stopped drinking caffeine, his blood pressure normalized, and he was taken off antihypertensive medications.

High caffeine content can raise blood pressure “substantially,” a doctor confirmed. (iStock)

Based on this case, the authors raised the potential risks associated with energy drinks, especially regarding stroke and cardiovascular disease.

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They also highlighted the importance of “targeted questioning in clinical practice and greater public awareness.”

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The authors say this case draws attention to the potential dangers of over-consuming energy drinks. (iStock)

Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel reacted to the case study in an interview with Fox News Digital.

“This case report illustrates the high risk associated with a large volume of energy drink consumption, especially because of the high caffeine content, which can raise your blood pressure substantially,” said Siegel, who was not involved in the study.

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“In this case, the large amount of caffeine appears to have led directly to very high blood pressure and a thalamic stroke, which is likely a result of that soaring blood pressure.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to the case study authors and various energy drink brands for comment.

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5 Surprising Ozempic Side Effects Doctors Are Finally Revealing (Like Back Pain and Hair Loss)

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5 Surprising Ozempic Side Effects Doctors Are Finally Revealing (Like Back Pain and Hair Loss)


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Relationship coach blames Oprah for pushing family estrangement ‘for decades’

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Relationship coach blames Oprah for pushing family estrangement ‘for decades’

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Oprah Winfrey is shining a light on family estrangement, which she calls “one of the fastest-growing cultural shifts of our time” — but one expert says the media mogul helped fuel that very culture.

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“A Cornell University study now shows that almost one-third of Americans are actively estranged from a family member,” Winfrey said on a recent episode of “The Oprah Podcast,” referring to adult children going “no-contact” with parents, siblings or entire family systems.

Winfrey said the trend is a “silent epidemic” that can be especially relevant during the holidays.

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But family and relationship coach Tania Khazaal, who focuses on fighting “cutoff culture,” took to social media to criticize Winfrey for acting as if the estrangement crisis appeared “out of thin air.”

“Now Oprah is shocked by the aftermath of estrangement, after being one of the biggest voices pushing it for decades,” Canada-based Khazaal said in an Instagram video, which drew more than 27,000 likes and 3,000 comments.

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Oprah Winfrey recently discussed what she called a “silent epidemic” of family estrangement on her podcast. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Khazaal claimed that Winfrey’s messaging started in the 1990s and has contributed to a cultural shift where walking away became the first resort, not the last.

According to the relationship coach, millennials, some of whom grew up watching Oprah, are the leading demographic cutting off family members — and even if it wasn’t intentional, “the effect has absolutely been harmful,” Khazaal told Fox News Digital.

FAMILY BREAKUPS OVER POLITICS MAY HURT MORE THAN YOU THINK, EXPERT SAYS

The coach, who has her own history with estrangement, questioned why Winfrey is now treating the issue as a surprising crisis.

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“Now she hosts a discussion with estranged parents and estranged kids, speaking on estrangement like it’s some hidden, sudden, heartbreaking epidemic that she had no hand in,” she said in her video.

Nearly one-third of Americans are estranged from a family member, research shows. (iStock)

Khazaal said she believes discussions about estrangement are necessary, but insists that people shouldn’t “rewrite history.”

“Estrangement isn’t entertainment or a trending conversation piece,” she added. “It’s real families, real grief, parents dying without hearing their child’s voice.”

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Winfrey reportedly responded in the comments, writing, “Happy to have a conversation about it — but not on a reel. Will have my producer contact you if you’re interested.” But the comment was later deleted due to the backlash it received, Khazaal told Fox News Digital.

“I would still be open to that discussion,” Khazaal said. “The first thing I’d want her to understand is simple: Setting aside cases of abuse or danger, the family unit is the most sacred structure we have.” 

Experts emphasize that estrangement should be a last resort. (iStock)

“When children lose their sense of belonging at home, they search for it in the outside world,” she added. “That’s contributing to the emotional fragility we’re seeing today.”

Her critique ignited a debate online, with some social media users saying Khazaal is voicing a long-overdue concern.

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“The first time I heard, ‘You can love them from a distance’ was from Oprah … in the ’90s,” one woman said.

My son estranged himself from us for five years,” one mother commented. “The pain, hurt and damage never goes away.”

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Others, however, argued that Winfrey’s podcast episode was empathetic and that estrangement shouldn’t be oversimplified.

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Mental health experts say the conversation around estrangement is more complex than any single celebrity influence, and reflects broader cultural shifts.

Experts say today’s focus on boundaries and emotional well-being has reshaped family expectations. (iStock)

In the episode with Winfrey, Joshua Coleman, a California-based psychologist, said, “The old days of ‘honor thy mother and thy father,’ ‘respect thy elders’ and ‘family is forever’ has given way to much more of an emphasis on personal happiness, personal growth, my identity, my political beliefs, my mental health.” 

Coleman noted that therapists sometimes become “detachment brokers” by unintentionally green-lighting estrangement.

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Jillian Amodio, a licensed master’s social worker at the Maryland-based Waypoint Wellness Center, told Fox News Digital that while public figures like Winfrey help normalize these conversations, estrangement might just be a more openly discussed topic now.

“Estrangement used to be handled privately and quietly,” she said.

Winfrey’s take on family estrangement is prompting a broader discussion amid the holiday season. (iStock)

But even strained relationships can be fixed with the right support, experts say.

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Susan Foosness, a North Carolina-based clinical director of patient programs at Rula Health, said families can strengthen their relationships by working with a mental health professional to improve communication, learn healthier conflict-resolution skills, and build trust and empathy through quality time together.

“No family is perfect,” Foosness told Fox News Digital.

Khazaal agreed, saying, “Parents need to learn how to listen without slipping into justification, and children need help speaking about their pain without defaulting to blame or avoidance.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Winfrey for comment.

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